Black Ops
by Aurrawings
Summary: U.S. Navy Captain Morgan Greene is one of the best snipers in the ranks. A special pardon has allowed her to be in combat, but when she comes home to relax after a mission, her life is changed forever. Violence, blood, one OC, MAJOR plot twist in later chapters, slight OC/Ironhide, rating change
1. Chapter 1

Ch 1 -Panama-

The target moved in my sights, a well-known drug cartel and underground terrorist leader. My breathing was slow and even as I lay concealed on the ground, my spotter next to me.

"You're clear, take him out." my spotter said. I followed my target in the crosshairs when he started walking, letting out a breath, I squeezed the trigger on my sniper rifle. The cartel's head whipped back, blood spattering briefly as he instantly fell to the ground. I looked up from my scope, glancing over at my spotter, who was getting up out of the muck where we'd been camouflaged. He patted my back as I silently packed up my gun and slung it over my back.

"Nice job, Twiggy. Come on, let's get the heck out of here." I didn't care about my nickname, I was the smallest one on the team, and set aside the fact I was a girl. My spotter, nicknamed Hawkeye, motioned me to follow and I stayed close on his tail as we made our exfil.

...

-Washington D.C. 1300 hrs.-

I de-boarded the plane that had taken me and the rest of my team back home, my camo uniform looking out of place on the tarmac instead of in the jungle. We were the ones you would never hear about, the ones who got called when the shit really hit the fan. The pleasant sun beamed down on my tan skin, and I briefly stopped to pull my hair in a loose ponytail before going to find my car in the airport parking lot. Hawkeye came up behind me, punching me lightly in the shoulder.

"Hey, Morgan, where are you going?" he said. I shrugged.

"Ah, you know. Gonna relax at home, maybe go out for dinner. Maybe I'll just sleep for a few days, I'm so tired." I said. Hawkeye, whose real name was Jordan, nodded and waved goodbye. I waved back, turning and scanning the parking lot for my car. I found it, a black Pontiac G6, unlocked it, and slid into the driver's seat. I plopped my army duffel bag on the passenger seat, all it contained was a few of my uniforms and my gun. Relaxing already, I started my car and made my way to my apartment in town.

...

I shut the door behind me, sighing and dropping my duffel bag on the counter.

"Home sweet home." I muttered to myself, unzipping my bag and laying my gun on the counter. I dumped my uniforms into a laundry basket, including the one I had been wearing, and changed into a T-shirt and jeans. I flopped on the couch in my apartment, flicking on the T.V. to a news channel just in time to hear a report.

"Breaking news from Panamanian officials, a well known drug trafficker and alleged terrorist was killed yesterday. Reports inform us that a single sniper bullet had taken down the subject. No country has yet to step forward as to who carried out the mission." A female anchor said. I smiled to myself, my team and I were never named, the only time you'd ever hear about us was if and when we were ever disbanded. I channel surfed for a few hours before deciding to go out to eat.

I got off the couch, going to the laundry room where I'd pretty much dumped everything. I picked up my wallet, out of habit making sure I had cash and my driver's license, though I wouldn't need my license because I was planning on walking to a restaurant just a few blocks away. My license read: Morgan A. Greene, active military. Age: 24 Height: 5' 6", Weight: 130 lbs, Eyes: Green, Hair: Brown. I shut my wallet, shoving it in my pocket. I pulled on a pair of sneakers and headed out the door, shutting it behind me.

...

It was already dark when I left, and I was using the light from the street lamps to guide me. A man stepped out of an alley into my path, and I was going to simply walk around him, but he blocked me. This was going somewhere I didn't want it to, and I stood my ground. I now regretted that I hadn't brought my handgun...

The man approached me, I could tell he was about in his late twenties, Hispanic, and he had a tattoo on the side of his face that resembled a spider. He gave a sort of smirk, circling me easily.

"Well, what's a pretty chica like you doin' out after dark? It's not safe you know." the man said, reaching to touch me. I edged away, and he frowned. Giving a shrill whistle, the man appeared to be calling someone, and I was right. About five guys stepped out of the shadows and surrounded me.

I may have been in the military, but I couldn't fight off six guys when I was unarmed. The leader motioned to his gang and they shoved me into the alley, out of sight from the street. Their leader stepped in, grabbing my throat and smashing me into the wall.

"Hey baby, why don't you come back to my place and we can have some fun?" he hissed into my face. I glared, even though panic was rising in my chest.

"In your perverted dreams." I said, bringing up my knee and smashing it with all I had into right where it counts. The gang banger doubled over, and I was instantly set upon by the rest of the guys. I held my own for a short while, but there was just too many. A smashing blow hit me square in the eye and I staggered back. Someone swung a piece of pipe into my shin, causing me to cry out and stumble.

I tried to rally myself, taking a hard swing and catching one thug in the throat. He staggered back, coughing, and I roundhouse kicked another that came at me. Another blow hit my face and I felt my head whip back, and I blindly struck out at the assailant. Right as I did, a deep pain ripped into my side and I yelped. I stumbled again, looking down to see a switchblade embedded in my side. The gang were dusting themselves off, ready for round two. I on the other hand wasn't feeling so hot.

The leader swaggered over to where I was barely standing, stopping in front of me briefly.

"Princesa, you have gone too far." The leader said, drawing back and backhanding me so hard that I went sprawling. My arm and shoulder dragged along a bed of broken glass, adding to my list of injuries. I tried to pull myself away, but was quickly surrounded. The gang started kicking me mercilessly, and I pulled into a ball like I was trained to if I was ever in this situation. I had no idea how long they pounded me, but through my clenched eyelids, I could tell the alley was suddenly illuminated by a bright light.

I cracked open my eye that wasn't swollen shut to see a pair of headlights at one end of the alley. A throaty engine roared, and the vehicle lurched forward a few feet, almost threateningly. The gang stopped beating me for a moment to look up at the disturbance. I dragged myself a few feet through the broken glass, but the leader put his foot between my shoulders and pinned me down. The engine roared again, and the vehicle that I could now identify as a large black truck rolled forward before stopping again.

The gang seemed a little uneasy now, starting to back away. The leader kept pinning me though, and the truck suddenly sped forward, chasing the gang except for the leader out the other side of the alley. At the end the truck, a jacked-up black GMC with twin stacks and blue visor lights, did a U-turn and roared back down the alley. It turned just slightly to avoid running me over and the passenger door flew open, catching the leader and sending him flying. He hit the ground hard, got up, and turned back to me on the ground.

The truck sped forward again, going after the leader, and he didn't think twice about getting out of there. After he left, the truck shifted into reverse and stopped by me. A voice, deep and slightly coarse in tone spoke to me from what I assumed was inside of the vehicle.

"Don't worry, I'm going to help you. What's your name?" the voice said. I hauled myself off the ground, rolling over into a half-sitting position.

"I'm Morgan. Thank you, um, what's your name?" I said. I was sore and woozy from blood loss already. The switchblade was still lodged in my side and my arm had some nasty glass cuts with a few shards still wedged in my skin. The voice was silent a moment and I muttered to myself.

"Sheesh, two tours of Afghanistan and countless Black Ops missions without more than a scratch...just to come home and get mugged." I said. The owner of the voice must have heard me because it replied back.

"You're in the military? I thought females weren't allowed in combat..." the voice asked. I nodded.

"They made an exception for me, and I'm not supposed to say this, but have you heard of that assassination of a drug cartel in Panama?" I asked.

"Yes, it was on the news."

"That was me that took the shot." I said, struggling to get up. Whoever it was must have noticed what I was doing.

"Easy, let me help you. Just...don't freak out or tell _anybody_." the voice said. The passenger door swung open, but now I could see the odd thing. The truck had no driver.

"Uh...how can a truck talk, or drive itself for that matter?" I asked.

"It's a long story, for now, you just need to know that I'm an Autobot. I'm going to take you back to our base, you're hurt badly. My name is Ironhide by the way." Ironhide said. I thought back to a small bit of intel my team had received, though it was tossed out as too far-fetched. We had received word that our government had allied themselves with non-biological extraterrestrials, but we all laughed and shrugged it off.

"Well, thanks for saving me Ironhide. I think my team and I have caught intel on you guys, but we shrugged it off as a hoax. Now I see we're wrong." I said. Ironhide revved his engine a bit before speaking.

"Come on, can you get in?" he asked. I nodded, using the open door to haul myself to my feet. I favored my bruised shin, but I was just overall in pain. I hesitated before clambering into the passenger seat.

"Are you sure it's okay? I don't want to get blood on your interior." I said. Ironhide chuckled a bit.

"You're fine, it's protected. Hurry, you aren't looking too well." Ironhide said. I hauled myself painfully into the seat and Ironhide shut the door behind me. I took my hand off my side where I'd been covering the knife and Ironhide instantly crossed the seatbelt over me and latched it.

"I didn't see you were stabbed... Hold on tight." Ironhide said. I saw the gas pedal go down by itself and the steering wheel spun on its own at the end of the alley. Ironhide drove fast down back streets and through the alleys until he emerged on the highway close to a large, fenced in building. He whipped in to a sort of toll area where there were armed guards and a gate blocking the only way into the sort of compound. Ironhide jerked to a stop and rolled down the driver's window so the guard could see inside. Ironhide spoke quickly as they opened the gate for him.

"She's hurt badly, call Lennox and Optimus." Ironhide said. The guard nodded and Ironhide rolled up the window as he took off.

A large cargo door opened and Ironhide drove in to the building. It was pristine and mostly white, and could instantly see it was a type of military base, obviously a secret one. Through my hazy vision and Ironhide's tinted windows, I could see a few men in army camo come running up. Ironhide released the seatbelt from me and opened the door.

A man in probably his late twenties like me leaned into the cab, seeing how injured I was. I saw his name on his uniform, it read 'Lennox.'

"Jesus, what happened to her 'Hide?" Lennox said, carefully examining my battered face and taking my arm that was shredded by the glass.

"A gang had her in an alley, they were going to kill her. Will she be okay?" Ironhide asked. Lennox paused over the switchblade in my side, looking up at me.

"We need to get you some medical attention, now. Who are you?" Lennox asked. I weakly pulled my wallet from my back pocket, shakily handing it to him even though I spoke.

"I'm U.S. Navy Captain Morgan Greene, Special Forces and Black Ops sniper." I said. Lennox saluted me briefly before gently reaching up and lifting me from the seat, carrying me back a few feet.

"U.S. Army Captain Lennox at your service. Let's get you some help." Lennox said. I was surprised we were the same rank, and as Lennox stepped away Ironhide did something I wouldn't have expected.

With a hydraulic hiss, parts on the truck started to shift and rotate quickly. Before I knew it, a robot about twenty five feet or taller was standing where the truck had been. I'm sure I would've had a stronger reaction if I hadn't been almost blacking out from pain and blood loss.

"Ironhide?" I asked. He nodded in answer, motioning Lennox to go as he turned away. Lennox carried me quickly back to a group of people in camo and spoke to an African-American soldier whose name read 'Epps.'

"Yo Epps, find a medic, she's pretty rough." Lennox said. Epps nodded and jogged off, and Lennox took me to an enclosed room inside the base. There was a single table like something you'd see at a doctor's office, and he laid me on it carefully. Before the medic arrived, Lennox looked at my face and examined my arm again, shaking his head.

"You're lucky Ironhide found you. You got a family at home?" Lennox said. I shook my head, my voice strained. I could tell he was trying to keep me conscious until the medic got there and I did my best to answer back.

"No, it's just me. How about you?" I asked. Lennox answered me.

"I've got a wife and a baby girl. Is there anything else besides your arm and that knife in your side that got seriously hurt?" Lennox asked. I shook my head.

"I don't think so... One of them swung a pipe into my shin, it's sore but I don't think it's broken." I answered. Lennox nodded, stepping back as Epps came in with another soldier wearing camo.

"I found a medic, let's go dude." Epps said, following Lennox out. The medic leaned over me, but my vision was fading and I couldn't read his name. I finally blacked out from blood loss and the world went dark.

Ch 2 -Washington D.C. 2144 hrs.-

I woke seemingly instantly, but I had the sensation that a length of time had gone by. My mouth was incredibly dry and I hurt everywhere, my arm was wrapped in a bandage and in a sling, and I could tell I had gauze taped to my shoulder where it had been cut as well.

I cracked open my eyes, the lights in the room had been dimmed so as not to be too harsh. I groaned and tried to sit up, but someone stepped up and held me down. I looked up to see Epps.

"Easy Captain, you need to be restin'." Epps said. I eased back, aware of an I.V. in the back of my hand. I followed the line over my head to see a bag of clear liquid and another of dark blood.

"Thanks you guys, for everything. Could you tell Ironhide thanks again for me?" I said. Epps grinned.

"I'm sure he knows, and you're welcome. The medic got the glass outta your arm and that knife from your side. It was a long one, he said it was resting against an artery, you're lucky it didn't cut it or 'Hide wouldn't have been able to do anything." Epps said.

"When can I get out of here? I really should file a police report..." I said, struggling to get up again. Epps kept me down, shaking his head.

"Lennox already did, don't worry about it." Epps said. Right as he did, Lennox walked in, carrying my army duffel bag.

"Did I hear my name? Here, I picked up some things for you, I thought you might want something to wear besides that bloody T-shirt and jeans." Lennox said, unzipping the bag and pulling out one of my camo uniforms. I also saw my formal suit and cap were in there as well, along with something I was actually happy to see.

"Yes, thanks a ton. You brought my gun too? How'd you even get in my apartment, let alone know where it was?" I asked. Lennox grinned a bit, setting my bag on the floor.

"Ironhide and I followed the address on your license and you forgot to lock the door, so... And by the way, you wouldn't happen to be a sniper would you? That gun isn't exactly standard military issue." Lennox said. I nodded.

"I took that shot in Panama." I said. Lennox seemed surprised.

"Well, congrats. Too bad this is the welcome home that you got. On the bright side, you got to find out about something classified above top secret and you're being considered to be added to our N.E.S.T. team." Lennox said. I made a confused face.

"What's N.E.S.T.?" I asked. Epps spoke up.

"It's the organization that allows us to work with the Autobots, we take out the bad guys and their crew helps.

"Oh... wait, what about my Black Ops team? I'm still active duty..." I said. Lennox smirked.

"Not right now you are. As of a half hour ago, you're on medical leave for a while." Lennox said. I grimaced, sitting up despite their protests.

"Thanks, but I think I'm alright. My team..." I was saying before Lennox stopped me.

"I don't think so. Besides, now that you've seen Ironhide, you might as well be part of our team now. I'm not saying you can't rejoin the Black Ops when you're better, but we'd all feel more comfortable if you hung around the compound for a while." Lennox said.

"Hey, when she's up to it she could meet the big man and the rest of the crew. Oh, and what about Sam too?" Epps spoke up. I must have looked as confused as I felt, because Lennox explained quickly.

"By big man he means Optimus, he's the leader of the Autobots. And yes, I do think you should meet them all. Sam is sort of a civilian soldier in our minds, though the big cats up top don't really think so. Bumblebee is his guardian; you'll meet him eventually." Lennox said. I nodded in confirmation, starting to painfully get off the table where I was. Lennox tried to stop me but I waved him off.

"It's okay, I'm not going anywhere, but if you don't mind I'd like to get out of my nasty shredded clothes now." I said. Lennox nodded, nudging Epps out and shutting the door behind him. I stood slowly, my side aching and my shin throbbing. Contemplating how I would be able to get my uniform on if I still had an I.V., I simply pulled the needle out. I'd had a small bit of medical training, I'd be able to get it back in once I'd changed.

I pulled my arm carefully out of the sling, tossing it on the table for now. My entire arm from my wrist to just below my shoulder was wrapped in a white bandage, in a few places I could see where blood had seeped through the stitches and stained it. Carefully, I worked my shirt off, noting the large bloodstain on the side where I'd been stabbed and where my gashed arm had stained it as well.

I leaned down, unzipping my duffel and rummaging around for my standard camo uniform that had my name on it. I pulled it out, along with the cargo pants and white shirt that went under it. I also took out my boots, but left them sitting at the side of the bed. I glanced down at the wound in my side, the small slit was stitched, I could tell, and it was covered in a gauze pad that was taped to my skin.

I pulled on the white shirt, then my uniform, cautious of my sore arm. I then changed pants, not as painful because I just had a bruised shin, and straightened the wrinkles habitually before picking up my I.V. needle again. I located the pinprick and small bruise where it had been and quickly shoved it back in the vein without so much as a grimace. I then returned the sling around my body and carefully laid my arm back in it.

I zipped up my duffel again, tucking it by the bed, and folded my bloodstained clothes with my free hand and set them on top of my bag. Just as I was arranging my things, someone knocked on the door.

"You can come in." I said, straightening as the door opened and Lennox walked back in. He took in my appearance, nodding.

"That looks much better. How are you feeling?" Lennox said. I shrugged.

"Sore, really tired, grateful to be alive." I said shortly. Lennox smirked.

"Let's find you a better bed to sleep in, I'm pretty sure we have more bunks. Bring that with you, I've got your bag." Lennox said, pointing at the I.V. stand that still had things that were draining into my system. He picked up my bag, tucking my ruined clothes under his arm before motioning me to follow him. Thankfully, the I.V. had wheels, so I pulled it along next to me as I followed Lennox out.

"You've obviously already met Ironhide, and the rest of the guys have been really curious to meet you." Lennox said, continuing. "Bumblebee isn't here, he's with Sam, but they were both supposed to be coming here tomorrow. If you want we can swing by the hangar so you can meet the team." Lennox finished.

"Sure, I'm game." I said. Lennox talked as we went, somewhat just trying to make conversation.

"I'm surprised you're up and about so soon." he said. I shrugged with a small grin.

"I'm Army strong." I said. He chuckled a bit.

"I suppose so... any reason why the system made an exception for you to go into combat situations?" Lennox asked.

"I dunno, my guess would be because I was too good of a sniper to keep behind the lines. The Navy shrink said I had a mind like a steel trap too, he couldn't confuse me to save his life." I said. Lennox said we were at the hangar, suddenly stopping and motioning me to the large open area.

I could only stare amazed as ten beings the same type as Ironhide approached me. The tallest, I assumed the leader, knelt in front of me to be more on my level but I still paled in comparison. The paint from his vehicle mode was red and blue, with painted flames visible on what I assumed was his armor.

"Morgan Green, is it?" he asked in a deep, low voice. I nodded, trying to keep my mouth from falling open.

"My name is Optimus Prime." Optimus said. I feebly waved hello and he stood back to his full height.

"The rest of the Autobots you see here are all that's left of us, we've suffered many losses in our time on Earth." Optimus said. He introduced each in turn, and I could guess what their vehicle modes were from their body types. He pointed to Ironhide first.

"I know you've already met my weapons specialist, Ironhide." he said. Ironhide nodded in my direction, acknowledging that I was okay. Optimus pointed next to a yellow-green Autobot.

"This is our medical officer, Ratchet."

"From what I hear you were damaged extensively, someone who doesn't give up easily is needed in our ranks." Ratchet said. I nodded my thanks and Optimus moved on. He gestured to a blue 'bot that looked curiously like Albert Einstein.

"Our inventor, Que." he said. He pointed next to a red Autobot and a silver one. I could tell the red one was a Ferrari and the silver one was a custom Corvette.

"These are Dino and Sideswipe, and over there are the Wreckers." Optimus said, pointing at three similarly put together 'bots that all looked like their vehicle modes were from NASCAR. They all had Irish accents, which I was curious about but didn't ask.

"It looks like the li'ile bugger got 'urt bad, is she a'right?" the one who had Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s number said. I told him I'd be okay, and he simply nodded. Optimus was about to introduce another pair of 'bots, but they decided to themselves.

Two small blue bots, much smaller than me, shoved past Optimus' foot and stood in front of me, looking up. One was a bit taller than the other, and slimmer, and the shorter one appeared to have a small limp.

"The name's Wheelie, and that's Brains." the taller one said in a high pitched voice. I waved my hello to them as well, and Optimus got my attention.

"Morgan, if it is your wish, Ironhide has requested to be your guardian. Do you consent?" Optimus said. I paused, wondering why Ironhide would want to waste his time on a regular civilian like me.

"I- I don't know, it seems like a bother to Ironhide..." I was saying when he cut in.

"Not at all, I'd be more than willing to. It's entirely your decision though." Ironhide said. I hesitated, then shrugged.

"Alright, I'm up to it." I said.


	2. Chapter 2

I hadn't even noticed, but my body had started to shake in a combination of fatigue and pain. Lennox noticed, and led me away. I still pulled my awkward I.V. stand with me, and Lennox took me to a room that was fairly secluded but in the middle of the base near the Autobots' hangar. There was a cot set up and Lennox motioned to it.

"Go on, you need some rest." he said. I nodded.

"Thank you all so much." I said. He waved me off, setting my duffel and other items next to the cot.

"No prob. See you tomorrow Captain." Lennox said, saluting me. I saluted back with my arm that wasn't in a sling and he walked out. Sleep sounded amazing, and I carefully positioned the I.V. stand so it wouldn't rip the lines out of my hand if I rolled over or something. Gingerly climbing onto the bed, I arranged myself so I was comfortable and closed my eyes.

...

A loud engine startled me awake the next morning, and I winced when the sudden movement of me bolting upright made my side throb. I grimaced, swinging my legs over the side of my bed. I stood uneasily, going to reach for my I.V. stand for balance, I then realized it wasn't there. The back of my hand had a piece of gauze taped to it, the medic must have taken the I.V. out while I was asleep.

I adjusted my arm in the sling, heading for the door. My Navy training had taught me how to hide my pain well, which was good, because I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. Right before I reached for the doorknob, I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror on the wall. I almost didn't recognize myself, I looked so beaten.

My eye was dark purple and swollen shut, my lip was split, and there was a bruise along my jaw as well. I also wasn't used to being in my uniform and not having my hair pulled back, though with only one arm to use, styling was out of the question. I touched a hand to my face, though I grimaced at the sensation. I sighed, straightening my uniform and turning, opening the door and emerging into the inner part of the base.

Immediately I identified the source of the engine noise, though it cut off shortly after I left the room given to me. A brand-new looking black and yellow Camaro was sitting in the middle of the hangar, and as I watched, a guy that looked about twenty got out of the passenger side. I also noticed there was no driver, and assumed that this must be Sam and Bumblebee. I tried not to limp as I made my way to the hangar, but my shin hurt like crap.

Lennox appeared out of nowhere and checked to see if I was okay.

"You feeling alright?" he asked. I shook my hand in a 'so so' gesture.

"Really sore." I replied. I pointed to the Camaro and the kid that had just gotten out of it. "Is that Sam and Bumblebee?" I asked. Lennox nodded.

"Yeah, come on, those two have been wanting to meet you." Lennox said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Have they really?" I asked. Lennox shrugged.

"At least Bumblebee wanted to, I don't know if Sam got the memo." Lennox said. I chuckled. Lennox led me to the kid and the Camaro, and as we stopped, the car started to transform like Ironhide had. In a few seconds, an Autobot was standing next to the boy called Sam. Sam raised his eyebrows when he saw me.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" he asked. I glanced at Lennox, then answered.

"I uh, got a vacation from duty. First day I come home, I get mugged in an alley. Thanks to Ironhide I'm not dead, evidently he's my guardian now." I said. Sam tilted his head.

"Really...? Well, if you haven't heard, this is Bumblebee, he's my guardian." Sam said. Bumblebee gave a small nod, and I heard a short bit of static before it sounded like someone was rapidly searching through radio stations. It actually came up with a clear message though, and I realized it was Bumblebee that was talking.

"Sam is right. What is your name?" Bumblebee said using the radio. I raised an eyebrow, looking from Bumblebee to Sam.

"Can he not talk?" I asked. Sam shook his head.

"No, but you just heard that he uses the radio." Sam said. I turned to Bumblebee, answering his question.

"I'm Morgan Greene, nice to meet you, Bumblebee." I said. He nodded again, and I glanced at Sam. "You got a last name?" I asked. Sam nodded.

"It's Whitwicky." he said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Whit-what?" I said. He laughed.

"It's weird, I know. So, uh, are you alright then? You look pretty banged up." he said. I rolled my eyes.

"Gee thanks, a girl just loves being told she looks terrible." I joked. Sam waved his hands in front of him.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant..." he said. I chuckled.

"I'm just messing with you, yeah, I'll be okay. Mostly just bumps and bruises, a couple glass cuts, you know." I said. Lennox nudged me before adding on to my explanation.

"One of the guys had a switchblade; she took it to the ribs." Lennox said. Sam made a face, and Bumblebee spoke through the radio.

"Oh, that has gotta hurt." he said. The audio sounded familiar, like a movie from somewhere, but I didn't ponder it long. I heard the sound of footsteps behind me, Autobot ones, and turned to see my new guardian walk up and stand next to Bumblebee. He talked down at Sam.

"She didn't give up though, you should have seen the other guys. I barely even needed to run them off." Ironhide said. I rolled my eyes.

"Liar, if it wasn't for you I'd be dead in that alley, or worse, locked up in some dude's apartment." I said. Sam cut in.

"Alright, enough flashbacks and compliments, let's change the subject please?" he said. I laughed again, and Bumblebee spoke up.

"Hey, is someone's phone ringing?" he said. I quizzically looked at Lennox, who checked his and shook his head, Sam glanced at his as well, though it wasn't his either. I listened closer, then whirled back to the room I'd stayed in when I recognized my ringtone.

"I'll be right back, sorry." I apologized and moved as quickly as I could to the room. I dug my phone out of my bag and answered it without looking at the number. I recognized Hawkeye's voice as soon as I picked up.

"Yo Twiggy, you there?" he said. I sighed in relief, thankful I'd been able to get to my phone in time.

"Yeah, I'm here. What's up?" I asked.

"I heard you're on medical leave, you okay?" he asked. I reassured him.

"Yeah, just got roughed up by some guys." I said. Hawkeye didn't sound convinced.

"They must've hurt you bad if someone declared you on medical leave. Come on, tell me what happened." Hawkeye said. I sighed.

"It's really a long story, and I'll be fine. I'm just a little sore and bruised, I got a few glass cuts." I said.

"That all? Doesn't sound like enough of an excuse...?" Hawkeye prodded. I muttered to myself under my breath before answering.

"Okay, fine, I let my guard down for half a second and one of them got a switchblade in my ribs, happy?" I snapped.

"Ooh, ouch. Not a fun night I would assume."

"Not at all. So why are you calling? Did you just want to see if I was okay or is there something else?" I asked. Hawkeye was quiet a moment before answering.

"Our team is gettin' deployed in a few days. I wondered if you were coming along." he answered. I chewed my lip, testing my arm silently and grimacing at the pain.

"Of course I am. I may be banged up but I can still pull a trigger." I said. I heard Hawkeye laugh.

"That's the Twiggy I know. Be at the Navy air base around 0900 tomorrow, we're all getting briefed then. Talk to you then." he said.

"Bye." I said.

"Bye." Hawkeye replied, hanging up his phone. I put mine in my bag and hurried back out to the hangar where Lennox, Sam, Bumblebee, and Ironhide were waiting for me. I explained quickly.

"I have to get out of here, nothing against any of you, I just...have something I have to do." I said. Sam raised an eyebrow.

"What's so important?" he asked. I glanced at Lennox.

"He obviously has clearance above top secret, we barely caught wind of these Autobots, yet he's the best of friends with one. You suppose it's alright to tell him about me?" I asked. Lennox shrugged.

"The kid can keep a secret if that's what you mean." Lennox answered. I took a breath before explaining.

"As you obviously figured out before now, I'm active duty in the military." I gave a brief salute with my good arm before continuing. "U.S. Navy Captain Morgan Green, a.k.a. Twiggy on my team. I'm part of a Black Ops unit that you will never hear about anywhere but from me. If you're wondering, a pardon granted to me allows me to be in combat, I'm one of the best snipers around if I do say so myself." I said. Sam seemed a bit taken aback.

"Whoa, big title. But, I thought you were hurt? You're going to go straight back into the fray?" Sam asked.

"Yep. I feel like this is what I was meant to do in my life. So I'm a little sore, oh well. You ever heard the expression, 'pain is just weakness leaving the body?'" I said. Sam shook his head. I huffed.

"Our drill instructor pounded that line into our heads so much I almost believe it." I said. I looked at Lennox.

"Is there any chance of me getting out of here today? I have a briefing tomorrow at 0900 tomorrow." I said. Lennox shrugged.

"We can go ask the medic." he said.

...

Ten minutes later I was packing up my things and saying repetitive thanks once more. I slung my weighty duffel over my uninjured shoulder, striding confidently to the hangar once more, though disguising a limp. Ironhide was waiting for me, though in vehicle mode. I inquired as I walked up.

"Are you taking me home or something?" I asked. Ironhide answered.

"Yes, I'm your guardian now. It's my duty to protect you, and honestly I'm not to fond of the idea of you going somewhere I can't." Ironhide said, opening the driver's side door on his vehicle mode. I waved my goodbyes briefly to Lennox and some of the other guys I'd gotten to know. Sam waved as well, though it appeared he was going to hang back in the base for a while. Ironhide shut the door, and I continued with our conversation.

"Don't worry about me, and besides, I'll be back before you know it." I said. Ironhide still seemed uneasy, and I glanced down at the steering wheel, which was constantly adjusting itself on its own since Ironhide was driving and not me.

"It's weird, it seems like it was so long ago when last night happened, though I only just met you a few hours ago. If it weren't for the pain and scars I would've forgotten it already..." I trailed off, glancing over at the passenger seat where I had been bleeding out last night. To my dismay, I could see bloodstains on the seat and floor mat, as well as the door panel. I sighed.

"Ironhide, I told you I didn't want to get your interior dirty." I said. Ironhide probably would have rolled his eyes.

"I told you it was fine, I'm just glad you're safe." he said. I put my face in my hand.

"Find a carwash somewhere, I'm going to do you a favor." I said. Ironhide started to decline.

"No, you don't have to do anything, I don't want you to overwork yourself. We should really get back to your apartment where you can rest." Ironhide said.

"You're new to this guardian thing, aren't you? And don't worry about it, I'll be fine. It's my pleasure to take care of you as well, you did save my life after all." I said. Ironhide was quiet a moment.

"Honestly, yes, I'm new to the guardian responsibility. Bumblebee is really the only one who as ever filled that role, he protects Sam." Ironhide said. I responded, noting with satisfaction that he was headed for the driveway of a carwash and not my apartment.

"Well I think you're doing a great job so far. Give me just a second." I said as he pulled into the carwash lot and stopped, putting his vehicle mode in park. I unlatched my seatbelt and dropped to the ground, keeping my weight off my bashed shin.

I left Ironhide in the parking lot, feeling a little bad since I left him alone. I walked across the gravel lot to the building attached to the wash. Going inside, I searched for a worker and found one quickly. I must have looked odd with my arm in a sling and walking with a slight limp. I also was aware that my face was a mess... The indifferent young worker looked at my face a mere second before replying in a monotone.

"Hello and welcome to the Scrubber's car wash, how may I help you?" he asked. I asked him in a very polite voice.

"Uh, you wouldn't happen to have a stain remover for interior, would you?" I asked. He silently reached behind the counter and handed me an un-labeled white spray bottle and a clean rag.

"Thanks, I'll bring this back in a little while." I said, hurrying back to Ironhide. I walked around to his passenger side, pulling open the door and surveying the work I had to do.

"Geez, I really made a mess. Sorry, I wish I hadn't bled so much on you." I said. Ironhide chuckled.

"No problem, but you see now why I was so concerned about getting you back to the base." Ironhide said. I started using the cleaner to scrub the blood off of the door panel and seat. Surprisingly, whatever the substance was did a great job and the stains came right off. I had to scrub a bit harder on the seat but it still came out. Finally I cleaned the floor mat, and then the only reminder of the blood was a slight chemical smell.

I stepped back, examining my work.

"There, that's much better." I said. Ironhide spoke.

"Thank you, you didn't have to do that." he said. I waved him off.

"No prob. I'll be right back." I said. I returned the bottle of cleaner to the worker, but left the rag in a trash can. Going back to Ironhide, I climbed into the driver's seat and buckled my seat belt.

"Okay, we can go home now." I said. Ironhide seemed happy with this, and promptly took me to my apartment. He pulled up in front of the building, and I picked up my duffel before opening the door.

"Um, you aren't going to sit here all day are you? I mean, that seems like a bother to you." I said. Ironhide chuckled.

"I wouldn't have a problem with it, but no, I wasn't planning on parking here all day. I'll be around though, if you need me just call and I'll be here as quick as I can." Ironhide said. I smiled.

"I know I've said it so many times already, but thank you so much for everything." I said, slipping from the inside of Ironhide's truck mode and onto the ground. He shut the door behind me, and I good-naturedly patted the hood of his vehicle mode as I circled in front of him.

"You're welcome." he said.

"I doubt I'll be out of the house today, I need a day to relax and heal. I'll call you if I need you, but don't worry about it too much. Can you be here around eight tomorrow?" I asked.

"I'll be waiting." Ironhide said. I waved as he drove off, and went into the apartment complex where I lived. I had to go to the front desk and ask for my room key because I'd misplaced it, and I'm sure I looked odd in my camo and with my face a swollen mess.

"Hi, would I be able to get a spare key for apartment 207?" I asked. The receptionist glanced up and down at me before turning to her computer.

"Name?" she asked.

"Morgan Annabelle Greene." I said. The receptionist scrolled a minute down the screen before nodding.

"Oh, there you are, apartment 207. I believe I have a key back here, just a moment." she said, ducking below the desk and rummaging around. She emerged quickly, and pushed a key across the counter. I picked it up gratefully.

"Thank you." I said. She ignored me, going back to whatever she'd been doing. I crossed to the elevator in the lobby, going up to my floor and then to my apartment door. I unlocked it, and sighed when I went in.

It was just as I left it, and I was so tired and sore at the moment that I just wanted to lay on the couch all day and focus on healing. I dropped my duffel in the laundry room once again, though this time I dumped all my uniforms in the wash except my official dress one. I methodically poured in the soap and detergent, punched the wash button, and exited the laundry room.

On my way to the destination I had in mind, the couch, I tossed my ruined clothes in the garbage. Content now, I eased myself onto the couch cushions, taking the sling off my arm and tossing it over the back of the couch. I unlaced my boots, slipping them off, and with a groan stretched out on the couch. I picked up the remote for the T.V. off the armrest, aimed it at the screen, and punched the power button.

Settling back, I half-watched a marathon of House before drifting off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

-0721 Washington D.C.-

I woke slowly the next morning, though immediately I shuffled into the bathroom and took a leisurely shower, wincing slightly when the water splashed onto my open cuts. Toweling off, I dressed in one of my camo uniforms and pulled my damp hair up in a ponytail. My injuries were still slightly sore, but the night of rest that I had had done me well and I didn't bother using the sling for my arm. I also left my side un-bandaged, knowing the stitches would be fine.

I put my army cap on my head, pulling it into alignment as I stepped out of the bathroom. The time was now a quarter to eight and I hurriedly but carefully packed my now-clean uniforms into my duffel. Most of us spent our few days before deployment at the Navy base, going over strategies and maps until the mission was clear in all our minds. I had started to miss my team, though it had only been a short time since our last mission in Panama.

Our team was a melting pot to say the least. Of course, I was the only girl, but my team could have cared less. There was Hawkeye, my spotter; he's a sturdily built African-American, and his ability to judge distance, wind speed, and notice everything around him makes him incredibly useful. There's also Boulder, aptly named because he's a solid 6' 2" and 210 lbs of solid muscle. The strength of our team, he is incredibly adept for his size at hand-to-hand combat. Next is Blitz, a German that was born in the States and decided to join the armed forces. Tall and slim, and remarkably silent when moving through heavy undergrowth or similar situations, he's our scout. There are two more gunners, Pierz, and Havii who doubles as our medic. His dark tan skin reflects the Hispanic blood from his father's side of the family. Also included on our team is Collins. He does most of the planning and working out bugs in our missions, though I'm not fooled. Despite his frail and small appearance, he doesn't hesitate to kick some serious ass when the time comes to do so.

I laid my gun carefully on top of everything and zipped up my bag. Pulling on a pair of my combat boots I picked up my bag and walked out the door, making sure I locked it and hid the key under my doormat.

I took the elevator down to the lobby, giving the secretary a friendly salute as I walked by. She didn't so much as look up at me...

A grin spread to my face as I walked outside, my guardian was parallel parked in front of my apartment complex. I almost thought it comical as I walked up to him, I mean, a black Topkick was parked in between a '03 Grand Am and a Bonneville, what's not conspicuous about that? Ironhide opened the passenger door and I hopped in, setting my duffel on the floor in front of me and buckling my seat belt. Ironhide noticed how much better I was feeling and spoke as he pulled out into traffic.

"You seem to be in less pain. I assume your day of rest did you well?" Ironhide said.

"Very. I feel much better, not 100%, but well enough to go through with this mission, whatever it is." I said. Ironhide was silent a moment, and I had the feeling something was troubling him.

"Something wrong, Ironhide?" I asked. He sighed.

"No, not really... I guess I'm a bit wary of letting you go." Ironhide said. I gave a sympathetic smile.

"It'll be fine." I said.

"They always say that... If you go somewhere, I don't know if I can properly be your guardian." he said. I patted his dashboard.

"Don't worry. And I'm pretty sure you agree, but once we're at the base, it would probably be smart to behave just like a truck, agreed?" I said. Ironhide laughed.

"Agreed. You should try to do the same, I'm sure your teammates would find it awkward if you started talking to a vehicle that said nothing back." Ironhide said. I laughed too, and after a while of driving Ironhide pulled over and stopped.

"You probably want to drive now, I'm sure there are security checkpoints and it wouldn't look good if I drove in without a driver." Ironhide said. I nodded, unbuckling and sliding across the center console into the driver's seat. I re-buckled my seat belt and tentatively put my hands on the steering wheel. I felt a little awkward, I already thought of Ironhide as a sentient friend, not a vehicle I could control. Ironhide chuckled lightly.

"It's okay, I drive just like a normal truck. We all can surrender our controls to a human driver, though say if we were about to crash I'd do something about it." he said. I nodded and eased back out into traffic, though we were already close to the base and I turned off onto the military access road. A checkpoint stopped me, and I instinctively reached into my bag for my military card and drivers license, pulling both out and showing them to the guard at the checkpoint. He waved me through, and I pulled forward up to an unused hangar that served as our quarters and briefing area before we were deployed. The large doors were slid open, showing that the whole of my team except me were already there.

I shut off the key to Ironhide's vehicle mode and said a quick remark.

"Total silence now." I said, picking up my duffel from the floor.

"No problem." he replied. I slid out onto the ground. Shutting the door, I faced the rest of my team. Hawkeye gaped at me.

"Twiggy? Sister, you weren't lyin' when you told me you was hurt!" he said. Havii walked up too, examining my face and giving a low whistle.

"Wow chica, those are going to take a while for them to go away, though it looks like it's only cosmetic." he said. I nodded my thanks. Blitz called from the hangar next. Though he was raised in the US, his parents were both German, so he had a fairly heavy accent.

"Twiggy, vhere did you get ze truck? It is very nice." he asked. I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Long story." I said. Collins got all of our attention, waving us in.

"Come on, the chief is briefing us now!" he said. We all made our way inside, settling down in various spots to acquire our mission. Our commander welcomed us, starting his briefing.

"Two days from now, you are going to Syria. Our government gave us orders to try to suppress the rebel forces there. We received intel that the rebels have several officials held captive and are going to be moving them at around 1000 hours. We have the route they'll take mapped," he said, pulling up a digital image of a highlighted path through a winding array of streets. "Your mission is to eliminate the captor rebels, rescue the officials, and keep collateral damage to a minimum. You have a Blackhawk for your transportation, cover, and exfil. Blitz, Boulder, Pierz, Havii, and Collins, you guys will drop here," our commander said, pointing to a place near the middle of the route. "and Hawkeye and Twiggy will set up here on this rise." he finished, pointing at a rock formation that rose almost level with most of the buildings. I watched with my full attention, taking in every detail, though we'd all review the plans together over the next few days. Our chief continued. "The vehicles suspected to be used will be civilian pickups, not unstoppable, but don't be fooled. The rebels have been known to use vehicles in a tank fashion, not stopping until the machine isn't functional, then using the vehicle as a refuge from gunfire." he said. We all nodded.

The mission in and of itself wasn't difficult, though many factors influenced the outcome. We could have been given false information, which would be really bad, or something even worse could happen if everything didn't go smoothly.

…...

~Two days later~ -Washington D.C. 2000 hrs-

I had arranged my pack before we were scheduled to board our plane that would take us near our target area, and, slinging it onto my back, I decided to say goodbye to Ironhide. I told everyone I had left something in my truck and hurried over to where Ironhide was parked on the tarmac. I good-naturedly slid my hand across his hood and opened the driver's door, talking quietly but audibly.

"Hey, we're leaving now. Today's the big day." I said. Ironhide was silent a moment before speaking.

"I have a bad feeling..." he said.

"Don't say that. With any luck, we'll be done and out of there to be back in a day or so. I feel bad to have to leave you in this parking lot. Does it bother you to stay in vehicle mode this long?" I asked. Ironhide chuckled.

"Not at all. Bumblebee was our scout on earth for many years, he had to stay in vehicle mode for weeks at a time. At least you won't be gone that long." Ironhide said. I smiled, though my expression dropped when Hawkeye called from the plane.

"Yo Twiggy? You comin' or what?" he shouted. I sighed.

"I gotta go. I'll be back soon, don't worry." I said. Ironhide said a quiet goodbye, and I shut the driver's door and ran to the boarding ramp, my backpack bumping against my back. I hopped up into the plane, taking a seat next to Hawkeye and fastening my harness.

"You find what you was lookin' for?" Hawkeye asked. I shook my head.

"Uh, no. It wasn't that important." I answered. The pilot called back as he started the plane.

"Ready for takeoff? You'll be taken near your target area, a Blackhawk will meet you there and you know the rest." he said. We all gave him a thumbs up and the plane sped down the runway, getting liftoff, I turned to the rest of my team with a small grin.

"Let's go get 'em boys."

…...

-Syria 0800 hrs-

Most of us had caught a nap on the flight, we knew we'd need to be alert for our mission, and discreet at that. The pilot touched down in a large open field away from our mission area, and our Blackhawk was already waiting. Making our transfer brief, we all got out our weapons and made sure they were functioning optimally before we got in the chopper.

With the sound of the blades beating the air, we were soon aloft and on our way.

The landscape sped by, and our pilot stopped above the rise that our chief had described to us. I heard him shout back at Hawkeye and I.

"I can't put her down, you and your buddies are going to have to use the ropes!" he shouted over the noise of the helicopter. I gave him a thumbs up, rigging up a rope, I dropped over the side of the Blackhawk and slid down quickly, Hawkeye right behind me. We both waved as the chopper went on, and then busily set up on the rise. I arranged my gun on its stand, attached the silencer, laid flat on my stomach and watched through my high-powered scope the clear streets below me. There was some undergrowth and scraggly trees growning around our location, great for concealing us from sharp eyes. Hawkeye set up next to me, using his binoculars to watch our chopper deposit the rest of our team near their ambush point.

As a precaution, we didn't wear comm links because we didn't want anybody to hack our signal and listen in, and we were coordinated enough that we all could pull this off, even if we were spread out. For an emergency though, Hawkeye carried a walkie-talkie that could contact our support. I looked up when Hawkeye pointed to see the convoy starting their procession. Hawkeye whispered what he could see to me, and I listened carefully.

"There are three trucks, two rebels in each one, most likely armed, and there's at least six armed guards per truck. It looks like there's about ten officials total, their hands are bound and they're blindfolded...quite a few of them are injured." he said. I nodded, peering through my scope. The rest of our team would help, but I could give a welcome headshot to any rebel that was becoming a threat.

As the lead truck pulled slowly into the crosshairs, Hawkeye signaled.

"Target at one o clock, 300 hundred yards. Take him out." he said. We had all agreed that my first shot was the signal to attack. I took aim at the convoy's first driver, let out a breath, and squeezed the trigger. I felt my gun's small recoil in my arm and shoulder, and expected to see glass crack on the driver's side and blood spatter the windshield, but it didn't happen. Hawkeye cursed under his breath.

"Damn it... they reinforced the glass. I think they replaced it with bulletproof so they could drive around and not worry about a thing." he said. To my horror, I could see our team charging the convoy, the sound of gunfire was muted from here, sounding like rapid popping than anything else. I saw the leader smash the accelerator, nearly flattening Blitz in the process. My team switched tactics, blowing the tires on the trucks instead. I helped, and soon the trucks were skidding across the cluttered street. I smiled to myself for this small victory, but we had already caused too much commotion. There were reinforcements arriving.

The lead truck started to slide out of control, and spun into a building, jarring the captives though it cracked the windshield on the truck. I aimed again at the weakened glass, this time my desired headshot was acquired and Pierz finished off the other person in the vehicle. While Boulder and Collins diverted the other trucks the same way, I saw Havii gunning down the guards around the truck and the reinforcements that were coming, though he turned around and just as quickly loosened the bonds on the captives.

The other two trucks crashed as well, and the cracked windows gave me another opening.

"Ten o clock, watch Blitz." he said. I saw Blitz was near the truck, but too busy opening fire on the rebels to worry about the stopped vehicle. I aimed again, firing off two quick shots and killing the rebels in the front seat. I was occupied with watching my team finish off the mission, but I noticed Hawkeye suddenly froze, listening for a moment before putting down his binoculars. What he said chilled me to the core.

"six o clock." was all he said. I paled and dared to look behind me. Standing over Hawkeye and I were four Syrian rebels, all with guns aimed at our heads. Hawkeye gave me a glance, and I signaled discreetly to surrender. If we died right now, it would be the best thing. We had no information to give, but the rebels had been known to torture their victims to death. I got to my knees slowly, my heart hammering as I slowly raised my hands. Hawkeye did the same.

The rebels shouted something at us in a language I didn't understand, but the message was clear. Two of them put guns to our chests, making us stand. Then Hawkeye did something stupid... Without signaling me, he knocked the rebel's gun aside, launching at him and pulling his combat knife from his boot. He was aiming to slash the rebel's throat, but his target ducked at the last second and only earned a slice on his cheek. The rebels not guarding me leveled their guns at Hawkeye and I shouted.

"Hawkeye, no!" My cries were useless, and the rebels opened fire. We were both wearing bulletproof vests, but that didn't protect the arteries in your legs and your brain. I watched as my partner and friend fell to his knees, his uniform shredded by gunfire and covered in blood. I said a silent goodbye to him, his eyes were already glazed and staring at nothing when he fell forward. I turned when the rebels shouted something, only to have the butt of an M-4 smash into the side of my head.

A black wave of pain crashed over me, and I went sprawling to the ground, still clinging to consciousness. From here, I could see Hawkeye's blood starting to pool under him from his many wounds. After more muttering in their strange language, another blow to the head sent me tumbling into oblivion.

_At least the others completed the mission..._ I thought before I completely blacked out.

…...

When I struggled to consciousness again, I realized I was hanging from my wrists with my feet barely on the concrete floor. The room I was in was dim, with only one small window for light. My shoulders ached, and my head throbbed where I'd been hit. I looked down to see that my camo uniform shirt was gone, leaving my white T-shirt under it. I didn't have my boots either, and as I struggled to free myself from the ropes around my hands, a small group of Syrian rebels walked in. I didn't understand what they were saying, but I knew I was in for a long, painful death. One of them walked up to me and seized my chin, I glared the best I could, then sunk my teeth into his hand. He shouted and tried to pull back, but I bit down harder until I tasted blood.

Stars danced in my vision as he drew back and hit me, and dazed, I released him. He muttered something to the others, and retreating into the shadows, I saw him return with an aluminum baseball bat. He sneered as he walked up to me, and pulling back, he smashed the bat full force into my shin. I screamed in pain, hearing a snap when he connected. I tried to balance on one toe to take the pressure off my arms and now broken leg. A new rebel stepped up, swinging a length of rubber hose, and I tried to swallow my fear.

Pain blinded me again and again as they beat me first with the bat and then the hose. I tried to not give them the satisfaction of hearing me cry out, but it was too much.

They switched tactics again and again, whipping me, beating me, cutting me. I thought it would never end, but finally they seemed to tire and left me, but obviously were not finished with me. I took this opportunity to try and rest, knowing I'd need all my strength to survive. My head drooped, and the last thing I saw was the pool of blood under my feet and the spatters reaching out a farther radius.

…...

I don't know how long it was, maybe three days, or four. The rebels had tortured me endlessly, just barely keeping me alive. I was dehydrated and hungry, and though I couldn't see a mirror, I knew I looked like crap. The morning of whatever day it was, the rebels returned, this time with a chain. I trembled already, closing my eyes and gritting my teeth in readiness for this punishment. I was half-conscious and not thinking straight already, but I could have sworn I heard a very loud engine outside suddenly rev.

The rebels all looked up, and they sent two out with guns. About ten seconds later, a barrage of gunfire erupted and there were two screams of pain. The rest of the rebels glanced at me before arming themselves and running outside. I heard the same thing, only more people screamed this time. None were returning, and dazedly my gaze tried to pick them out of the darkness, hoping they would not come back. I heard one set of footsteps, and started to have panic rise in my chest again. The person stepped into the dim light, and at first I thought Boulder had come to rescue me.

The figure was built similarly, tall, and heavily muscled. My hazy vision registered that he was wearing dark camo pants and a black tank top. I could already tell it wasn't Boulder, but he definitely wasn't a rebel. He looked at me in horror, then ran the few steps over to me, careful not to slip in the blood on the floor. Reaching up, he used a knife to cut the ropes around my wrists and caught me when I fell. I was dazed, but I still cried out when my broken leg was jarred. Actually, I hurt in so many places it was impossible to tell which hurt the most.

The guy carefully slipped an arm under my knees and the other behind my shoulders, lifting me from the ground. I got a good view of his face, and for some reason he seemed familiar. The other odd thing was his eyes, they were a weird deep blue, and they almost seemed to glow, but I could have been hallucinating. I managed to choke out what I'd been wanting to say.

"Who...are you...?" I rasped. The man smiled.

"Morgan, it's me, Ironhide."

…...

**Oooh, cliffhanger! Lol. I'm sorry for how long it took to get this out, my computer broke and it took two weeks to get it back. If it seems rushed, it was, I did it in like three days, so if I messed up, feel free to tell me. Please read and review!**


	4. Chapter 4

-Syria-

I stared at Ironhide in disbelief.

"It can't be...you're...an Autobot..." I coughed. Ironhide gave a faint smile.

"That I am." he said, quickly but evenly walking outside. I fuzzily saw how terrible I looked in the light, and Ironhide did as well. My white T-shirt was soaked in blood, as was my hair and pants. I felt pain stabbing me everywhere, and was trying not to black out.

"How...can you be a human?" I rasped. Ironhide left the building where I had been kept, and looking down I saw the bodies of my captors littering the ground, ripped apart by high-caliber bullets. Ironhide walked to his vehicle mode, which didn't make sense to me at the moment until he explained.

"This is my holoform, Que made one for all of us, but we rarely use them. For all practical purposes, I'm human, but I can only activate this form when I'm in vehicle mode." Ironhide said. For the first time I noticed C-17 sitting a ways from the building, and even more surprisingly, Lennox was jogging towards us. He took in my appearance and frowned.

"We need to get her home, now." he said. Ironhide looked at me concernedly.

"Can she make it that long?" he asked like I wasn't there.

"She'll have to." Lennox said, looking at me. I suddenly remembered Hawkeye and was pummeled by grief.

"I...had to leave my spotter on a ridge. Did you find him...?" I asked. Lennox shook his head.

"No, tell us where he was and we can send a small team to go get him. How was he when you were taken?" he asked. I dropped my gaze to the ground, whispering the two words I didn't want to hear come out of my mouth.

"He's dead." I muttered. Lennox gave me a look of sympathy, gently taking me from Ironhide's arms.

"We'll get his body, but first, you're going on that plane." he said, walking the distance to the aircraft. I saw Ironhide's holoform disappear behind us, and he in his vehicle mode drove past us and into the plane. Lennox carried me inside, laying me carefully on a stack of blankets on the floor. I grimaced when my leg touched the ground, but lay uncomplaining. Lennox called to a few guys and took a Jeep from the plane, I knew they were going to find Hawkeye.

A small hum alerted me and I twisted around to see Ironhide had activated his holoform again. He walked over to me, crossing his legs and sitting by my side. He looked upset, and I painfully put my hand on his knee.

"It's... alright." I said. He didn't look at me.

"I'm a failure as a guardian, look what happened to you. I will never leave you again." he muttered.

"You are not. This was my... own fault for... not observing behind me. If Optimus... gives you any static...I'll take it for you." I said haltingly. My throat was dry and parched, but more than anything I wanted to pass out. I thought for a moment, shifting my gaze to him.

"Ironhide..." I said. He looked at me.

"Yes?"

"I'm done with this. I'll join your N.E.S.T team...after I'm recovered enough...maybe my...team can join it...too..." I said, exhaustion starting to take over. Ironhide rested his hand on the one I had on his knee.

"We'll worry about that later. Try to go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." he said.

"Aren't you...tired...?" I asked. He shook his head.

"In this form, I can sleep, but no, I don't get tired." he said. I mustered a faint smile, finally able to close my eyes. The last thing I remember feeling was the surprisingly gentle touch of Ironhide's hand on mine.

...

-Washington D.C. 0400 hrs-

I woke when I felt a jolt that jarred my leg and shot pain clear up to my neck. I cracked open my eyes, groaning. I felt Ironhide's touch on my shoulder this time, and widening my vision I saw him as his holoform still sitting next to me. I was still parched, and now the blood on me had dried and made my entire body stiff.

"We're home, just hang on a little longer." he said. I at this point was beyond very coherent thoughts, though my vision was clouded, I could hear fine and make out my surroundings. As soon as the plane came to rest on the tarmac, the ramp at the back opened and two guys ran up it, one wearing blue and the other wearing green, wheeling a gurney and a bright yellow bag. I was scared already, the post-traumatic-stress setting in. Ironhide soothed me the best he could, explaining briefly.

"We arranged a human connection with N.E.S.T to take you back to base and treat you there, the man in blue right there is a surgeon. Ratchet's going to help as well, don't worry, he's almost as good of a human medic as a Cybertronian one. He's the one that brought these two." Ironhide said. His holoform stood, backing out of the way.

I tried to pull away as one of the men bent to probe my broken leg. All I managed to do was send pain flaring, though I yelped when one of them gently moved my broken leg in different directions. I heard what they said to each other.

"It feels shattered, she's gonna need some work... Looks like she lost a lot of blood, get me two units of O- and some fluids, she's probably dehydrated too." The surgeon said. The second man in green pulled the yellow bag off the gurney and unzipped it on the floor as the first motioned Ironhide over.

"I need your help to get her on the gurney." he said. Ironhide nodded, hooking his arms as gently as he could under mine. The surgeon took my legs, motioning to Ironhide to lift. Pain shot through my entire body and I moaned in agony. They both moved swiftly, getting me on the gurney quickly. The man in green handed two I.V bags, one of clear liquid and another of blood to the surgeon, who then gently took one of my arms and turned it over.

Efficiently, he stuck both needles into the vein in my forearm before handing the bags to the man in green, who stepped out of the way and held the bags high enough that gravity would do its job. The surgeon pulled up the rails on the gurney, moving swiftly back down the ramp with Ironhide close behind. He stopped behind who I recognized as Ratchet in vehicle mode.

Ratchet swung open the back doors and the surgeon used Ironhide's help to get the gurney into the back of Ratchet. We left Ironhide behind, but I didn't dare black out again, I was afraid I wouldn't wake up if I did. Now that I had fresh blood draining into my system, and since I had been jostled quite a bit, several of my wounds had broken open and were bleeding again.

The ride back to the base was blurred, and seemed to not take as long as I thought. I felt Ratchet slow, but not stop for, the gate in front of the base, and the guards let him right through. I had the feeling that Ratchet was driving through the base itself, and when he stopped and opened the doors again, I was in a part of the base I didn't recognize. After we were out, Ratchet transformed and led the way quickly to a corner that was sort of walled off from the rest of the base, one wall was open to admit entry, but it was sort of in a secluded alcove of its own. As they wheeled me in there, I realized why.

It appeared as if they had a fully stocked operating room in the back of the base, probably just in case someone like me got badly injured and they didn't want to explain to a normal hospital. The two men pulled me up even with a metal table in the center of the room, and swiftly transitioned me onto the table. While the man in green hung my I.V.'s, the surgeon was washing his hands in a sink on the other side of the room. While he wasn't wearing scrubs, he did have a surgical mask and gloves. Ratchet was standing out of the way at the moment, but I didn't doubt he could help me as much as the other two.

The man in green swiftly put my index finger in a pulse monitor and went to prep himself the same way as the surgeon. I dimly watched my heart monitor, and though I wasn't a medic, I knew it was beating way too fast and very irregularly. I felt firm but gentle hands pull my head straight, so I was looking up at the ceiling, or rather, the very bright light that was aimed at me from over the table. The surgeon said nothing, quickly slipping a mask onto my face and nodding to someone I couldn't see, most likely the man in green. I smelled something odd, and then a black wave washed over me and I tumbled into unconsciousnesss.

...

*3rd person POV

The two medics busily worked around Morgan while Ratchet kept an eye on her vitals. The E.M.S responder who was wearing green muttered to himself.

"How is she even still alive?" he said. Ratchet himself seemed surprised.

"According to my scans, she has a shattered tibia and a few broken ribs, a concussion, multiple lacerations and contusions, and some of her internal organs are damaged as well. She's a fighter, I'll say that." Ratchet said. The surgeon didn't know where to start, but focused on her leg first. He cut away most of her pant leg and assesed the damage. A massive dark bruise had formed over her shin and there was an obvious dent in the front of her leg. He motioned for a scalpel, and briskly sliced over the bruised area and the break. Dark blood oozed out of the new wound, and he did his best to put her leg back together. Once he had pieced the bone back together, Ratchet handed him a metal rod to stabilize the bone. After he had screwed it into place, he sutured the muscle and skin back together and moved on, talking as he went.

"That's the best I can do for now, put a cast on her and we'll hope for the best. I can't garuntee she won't walk with a limp for the rest of her life..." he said, moving up to her rib cage and feeling it gently. He seemed relieved and spoke again.

"None of them broke off, so we don't have to worry about that. Now, let's see about her internal injuries. If she's not bleeding into her abdomen then we'll just have to keep her under observation to make sure she doesn't develop any problems." the surgeon said. He lifted the bottom edge of her bloodstained shirt and paused a moment, taking in just how badly she was injured. There were deep purple bruises everywhere, some of them looking like she had been beaten with a chain so hard that the links were visible in the bruise. She had been lashed and cut as well, some of them deep, and the surgeon made up his mind to stitch the worst ones closed.

He gently but firmly felt around her abdomen, relieved that it still gave under pressure and wasn't hard and full of blood.

"She's not bleeding internally, that's good. Put that cast on her and I work on the stitches." he said. Before anyone could start anything though, Ratchet gave a warning an instant before the machines around her started wailing alarms. Her BP plummeted an instant after her heart monitor flat-lined. The E.M.S responder shouted above the alarms.

"What's going on with her?" he said. The surgeon shook his head.

"I don't know, it could be a reaction to the sedative, or her concussion his worse than we thought. Get her heart going now, come on!" he said. The surgeon pulled the mask off of Morgan's face, replacing it with a respirator and ordering the E.M.S responder to grab the defibrilator. The surgeon felt her pulse, getting nothing he started compressions while he waited for the instrument he needed. The E.M.S came running back with the defibrilator and handing it to the surgeon, he stepped back.

The surgeon charged up the machine and with a call of 'Clear!' pressed the two shock paddles to Morgan's chest and gave her a jolt. The muscles in her torso contracted, causing her chest to rise off the table for a moment. They all gave a sigh of relief though when her pulse started beating again, now steadier than it was before. The surgeon motioned to Ratchet.

"Can you do a scan on her head? Is she bleeding into her brain?" he asked. Ratchet did as he was asked, then shook his head.

"No, she's not. But she has one heck of a concussion." The surgeon nodded.

"Then theres not much more we can do than put a cast on that leg and stitch up the worst cuts." he said. Ratchet helped the E.M.S responder encase Morgan's leg in a cast, guessing on a color she liked and using dark blue. The surgeon worked busily, neatly stitching the deepest lacerations in her body and doing the best he could that they wouldn't leave too much of a scar. Stepping back finally, he wiped his brow and looked down at his patient.

"That's about all we can do right now. The rest is up to her. I imagine she'll need some therapy for her leg, but she's tough. Ratchet, when she wakes up, run a few basic tests on her to make sure she doesn't have any permanent brain damage, other than that I'd say just have her rest." he said. Ratchet nodded.

"Will do. She's in good hands, and thank you for all your help." Ratchet said. The surgeon nodded, motioning for his assistant to follow him as he left. Ratchet looked on as they left, and Ironhide passed them on the way out, going to see Morgan. Ratchet tried to stop him but he begged to be with her.

"Come on Ratch, please. I'm supposed to be her guardian, and of late I haven't been doing so good of a job..." Ironhide said. Ratchet sighed, putting a hand on Ironhide's shoulder.

"Alright, but she's resting, don't wake her. And Ironhide, don't blame yourself, old friend. She chose the path of a soldier, and therefore was vulnerable to be caught in the line of fire." Ratchet said. Ironhide dipped his head in thanks, walking past Ratchet. He stared in horror at Morgan's still form on the operating table. Her clothes had been changed to a white T-shirt that was too big for her and a white pair of loose shorts, but he could still see the bruises on her arms and the stitches on her cuts. A breathing tube was run down her throat, and she was so still the only thing that told him she wasn't dead was the steady heart monitor and the labored rise of her chest as the respirator forced her to breathe.

Ironhide knelt beside where she lay, bowing his head and sitting his own quiet vigil next to her.

...

-Washington D.C. 0938 hrs- *Morgan's POV

I had a pounding headache when I woke, and when I cracked open my eyes the harsh white lights in the base seemed too intense. I opened them a fraction wider when a shadow blocked the light from my eyes. The figure came into focus and I recognized Ironhide. I was going to call his name, but something down my throat prevented me from doing so. My body recognized this as an irritation and I started coughing, but it wasn't doing anything. I heard Ironhide call for Ratchet and quickly the object was pulled from my throat. I coughed a few more times, looking at Ratchet i saw he was setting down a breathing tube, that must have been what was in my throat.

I moved slightly, feeling something encasing my foot and leg up to my mid-thigh I assumed that they had put my leg in a cast.

"Hey guys..." I said in a raspy voice that didn't seem to sound like it belonged to me. Ironhide transformed quickly and activated his holoform, walking briskly to my side he had a look of immense relief.

"Morgan..." he said. Ratchet got my attention.

"I know it will be uncomfortable for you, but I need to run a few tests to see if you have any brain damage. You have quite a nasty concussion." he said. Kneeling, he flashed a light in each of my eyes, obviously satisfied with my reaction. He motioned for Ironhide to sit me up. Ironhide complied, gently his holoform put an arm behind my shoulders and lifted me upright. I hissed in pain from being moved, and Ironhide looked upset for having to hurt me. Ratchet did the same thing with the light, then held up one finger in front of my face.

"Follow this without moving your head." he said. I complied, my weak gaze traveling from one side of my vision to the other.

"Good." Ratchet said. He ran a few more tests, then completely satisfied, he told Ironhide to lay me back down. I winced again, but assured him I was okay.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." I said. Ratchet gave me a grim look.

"You are not fine, nor were you when you were brought here. In fact, we lost you for a little while shortly after you were put under." Ratchet said. Ironhide obviously hadn't heard this, and his bright blue eyes widened.

"Oh..." I said. I looked at Ironhide, saying something that had been weighing on my mind since I had been rescued.

"My team...they think I'm dead...and they should know that Hawkeye really is...Would you happen to need any more N.E.S.T agents?" I hinted. Ironhide flashed a glance at Ratchet, who shrugged.

"I will discuss it with Optimus and Captian Lennox. In the meantime, you are going nowhere. Get some rest." Ironhide said, giving my shoulder a light squeeze. I laid a hand briefly on his arm.

"Thank you, Ironhide. I wouldn't have chosen anyone else for my guardian." I said. My hand slid from his arm and I closed my eyes, surrendering to sleep once more.

...

-Washington D.C. 1300 hrs-

It only seems like I slept for a few minutes, but when I woke up again, Ratchet told me it was one o clock in the afternoon. I frowned, then with effort, achingly hauled myself into a sitting position. My head spun a bit when I did, and I took a moment to gain my bearings. Ratchet tried to lay me back down, but I waved him off.

"You really need to be resting, Morgan. You are still badly injured." he said. I sighed, abesntly rubbing the cast on my leg. I looked up at him.

"Can I at least stay awake and talk to _someone_? I've been sleeping for long enough." I said. Ratchet sighed, giving me a faint smile.

"Alright, it might do you good. Am I good enough company or would you prefer someone else?" he asked. I smiled back at him.

"You're just fine. I really would like to get to know all of you though. Of course I know Ironhide, but still not that well. I've met all of you, but haven't been able to actually talk to any of you." I said. Ratchet chuckled.

"With your injuries as severe as this, I don't think that will be a problem. I imagine you'll be confined to base for a while, whenever someone's not running recon and has some down time I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to get to know everyone." Ratchet said. I was silent for a moment, then decided I might as well start learning about him.

"So what about you? Lennox sort of filled me in on everything general, the Decepticons and basic information on you guys, but I've got all the time in the world, so let's hear your story." I said. Ratchet smiled, thinking a moment before beginning.

"I think the best place to start would be when we first came to earth. I was actually nearly dicovered when I crash-landed, but I found a suitable vehicle mode and maintained my cover. Acutally, after Sam led us to his home, we all had a hard time adjusting to your planet and its ways. Optimus unintentionally destroyed Sam's yard and I uh...accidently walked into some power lines. Heh, I've never felt a jolt like that, it sat me on my aft in a hurry. I cut the power to Sam's entire neighborhood, actually." Ratchet said. I laughed, the fact that Ratchet, such a calm and collected Autobot whenever I'd seen him, had done something like that was hilarious. He continued, telling me about the battle with the Decepticons and then the later quest for the matrix of leadership in Egypt. I felt saddened when he told me about Jetfire and interuppted him.

"That's so sad, he really sacrificed himself to save everyone, even though he was a Decepticon?" I said. Ratchet nodded.

"He ripped his own Spark from his chest and told Optimus to take his parts. And which side you join doesn't have to do with creation, like Jetfire used to say, 'it's a choice, it's an intensely personal decision.'" Ratchet said. I was amazed at Jetfire's bravery, and listened to the rest of what Ratchet had to say. When he'd finished, I had gained a lot of knowledge not only about him but the rest of the Autobots as well. I heard the sound of footsteps, not human ones, and swung my gaze around to see Ironhide returning. He seemed surprised that I was awake, and looked at Ratchet.

"You said you'd call me if she woke up." he said, a slight edge of hurt in his voice. I calmed him down.

"It's not his fault, I had him occupied telling me about you guys." I said. Ironhide relaxed a little, turning his attention to me.

"Optimus has agreed to allow your team to join N.E.S.T, though you won't be going to see them. He's arranged for Lennox and I to bring them here to stay with you." he said. I was confused.

"Wait, what? Am I living here now?" I asked. Ratchet spoke from behind me.

"If that is your wish, then yes." he said. I looked at Ironhide again, a smile pulling at my lips.

"If it means staying with Ironhide, then by all means it's my wish." I said. I suddenly rememberred Hawkeye and my face fell.

"What happened with my spotter?" I said. Ironhide seemed uncomfortable talking about him, but Ratchet spoke again with a sympathetic tone.

"We located the rest of your team at the Naval base and left his body with them, they arranged a burial ceremony that same day, I deeply apologize that you can't be there." Ratchet said. I dropped my gaze to my cast, muttering.

"That's okay, he was only my partner and one of my best friends..." I said. The two Autobots were silent, and I looked up to see them both with semi-hurt expressions. I saw this and apologized immediately.

"I'm sorry, that sounded harsher than I meant it." I said. Ironhide's expression softened.

"It's alright, I know you didn't mean it. I know what its like to lose a partner...I'm sure Ratchet told you about Jazz?" he said. I nodded, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Megatron ripped him in two during your first battle with him. You were the one that found his body..." I said, trailing off. Ironhide nodded, lost in his own memory.

"He was a brillaint lieutenant, and young in Cybertronian standards. He and Optimus were close friends as well, Jazz didn't deserve to die at the hands of that accursed Decepticon..." he said. I thought a moment, turning to Ratchet.

"What about the matrix that Optimus has? If it brought him back to life, why not Jazz?" I said. Ratchet shook his head.

"In theory it could, but Jazz's body is at the bottom of the Lorentian abyss, by now he's probably been crushed beyond recognition. Believe me, the idea crossed my mind as well, but like i said, it would be impossible." he said. Ironhide looked upset, and I decided to change the subject.

"I think I'm getting a bit tired, actually. When were you leaving to get my team?" I asked. Ironhide's expression changed, looking a bit less sad.

"Right now actually. I'll wake you when we get back." Ironhide said. I nodded, and Ironhide left. Right as I went to lie down and try to get comfortable, Ratchet stopped me.

"Morgan, I can't imagine that table is comfortable for you, would you like me to move you to an actual bed?" he asked, stepping aside to show a cot set up in one corner. I nodded in thanks, extremely grateful.

"Thank you." I said. Ratchet smiled.

"No problem." he said. Gently, he lifted me in his hand and turned, depositing me into the cot. I shifted for a few moments, arranging my stiff leg and finding a comfortable position since I ached so bad. I thanked Ratchet again, closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep again.


	5. Chapter 5

-Washington D.C.-

"Twiggy, yo, Twiggy?" a soft voice cut through my sleep and I cracked open my eyes. The remainder of my team were standing around me and I hauled myself upright, wincing as I did. I saw it was Havii who had spoken, and I gave them all a small smile. By the way they acted, they hadn't actually met the Autobots yet, or been told they'd be a part of N.E.S.T if they chose. Blitz spoke next, his heavy German accent not masking the sympathy in his voice.

"Twiggy, ve are all very sorry about Hawkeye. Ve know he was a part of ze team, but he vas jour friend und partner. I give ju my deepest condolences." he said. I nodded, and from behind my team I noticed Ironhide now leaning against the wall. I smiled at him, returning my attention to my team.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Ironhide. Just don't freak out." I said. They all looked at me questioningly, then turned and their jaws literally dropped. I laughed, and Ironhide walked up to us.

"Th-this is unreal..." Pierz said. Collins looked fascinated on the other hand, and he muttered to himself, remembering the small bit of intel we'd caught before.

"They were right...we did ally ourselves with non-biological extraterrestrials..." he said. Ironhide looked amused and I called up to him.

"You lied." I said in a mocking tone.

"What?" he said, confused.

"You said _you_ were going to be the one to wake me up." I said. Ironhide chuckled and Boulder spoke up in his deep voice.

"Wait, what are we, chopped liver?" he said. I laughed, even though I was minus my best friend besides Ironhide, it felt good to share a laugh with my teammates.

"You guys should meet the others, could one of you help me?" I asked, pulling my injured leg carefully over the side of the cot.

"Others? What do you mean others? There's more than him?" Pierz said, jerking his thumb towards Ironhide. I nodded.

"Quite a few more, and they're just the good guys." I said. Havii leaned down, offering his hand, which I gratefully took. I heaved myself onto my feet, er, foot, heavily resting against Havii.

"So, did they fill you in on why you're here?" I asked. Blitz nodded.

"Ja, zey did. But all zey said vas that ve would be part of a new team even more classified zan our own." he said. I laughed lightly.

"You could definitely say that. And guys, I don't know about you, but I'm retiring from our team and fully joining N.E.S.T." I said. Havii almost dropped me.

"What?! Are you kidding Twiggy? What about all the missions we've done as a team?" Collins exclaimed. I looked sheepishly at them.

"That's kind of my point, I was hoping you'd join me." I said. They all looked at each other.

"I dunno Twiggy, this is some pretty serious stuff." Boulder said, rubbing the back of his neck. I sighed.

"Let's just go and meet the others first. I assume you've met Lennox?" I said, starting for the main hangar with a heavy limp, actually, hopping on one foot and dragging the other forward as Havvi supported me. Pierz nodded.

"Yep, he's a cool dude. Wouldn't mind hangin' out with him." he said. Ironhide followed us out, and I grinned as I kept seeing my team glancing in awe at him. Lennox intercepted us on the way to the hangar.

"Yo, Morgan, I thought Ratchet confined you to the med-bay?" he said.

"I think he did, but I can't stand to be down anymore." I answered. Lennox gave a knowing nod.

"Wait, who's Ratchet? A friend of yours?" Boulder asked. I grinned.

"You could say that." I said.

…...

Five minutes later, I can pretty much say that my team had had a sensory overload. Their eyes widened at the entire team of Autobots standing over them, and I contentedly smiled. Optimus told them the same thing he'd told me, basically putting in layman's terms everything that had happened since they came to earth. And, lucky them, they got to meet Bumblebee as well, though Sam wasn't with him. Optimus pointed to each Autobot in turn and he introduced them as well as said their names.

"My name is Optimus Prime, you've met my weapons specialist, Ironhide" he said. At this, Ironhide equipped nearly every weapon he had, mockingly aiming them at my team.

"You feeling lucky, punks?" he said, a line that I knew he had adopted because he loved it so much. I grinned, and Optimus went on.

"Those are the Wreckers," he said, gesturing to the three Irish-accented NASCAR 'Bots standing together. "And that's Wheeljack and Mirage, though our human allies call them Que and Dino. Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Ratchet are here as well." Optimus said. At this, Wheelie pushed past Dino, Brains hobbling behind him.

"Yo big guy, you forgettin' something?" he called. Optimus gave an amused smile.

"Hardly, my friend. And these two are Wheelie and Brains." he finished. I moved aside, Havii still helping me, and introduced the remainder of my team.

"Thanks Optimus. This is Boulder, Blitz, Pierz, and Collins. And the one helping me at the moment is Havii." I said. Optimus knelt down to be more on their level.

"Hello, all of you, and welcome. I sincerely hope you make the choice to join our efforts." he said. My team nodded a fascinated greeting, and Optimus stood back to his full height.

"Bumblebee, Ironhide, see to it that our guests are made welcome and have living arrangements. Morgan? Do you think it best that you return to the med-bay?" Optimus asked. I gave a good-natured shrug.

"I suppose it would be best...but I'm really not comfortable with being off my feet." I said. Optimus nodded, motioning Ratchet forward and telling him to take me back to the infirmiry.

Havii looked from me to Ratchet doubtfully, and I reassured him.

"It's alright, go with the others. I'll be fine with Ratchet." I said. Havvi nodded, and I slipped from his side into Ratchet's palm. Ratchet lifted me carefully and I waved at my team from about twenty feet in the air. They waved back, then followed my guardian and Bumblebee to another part of the base.

Ratchet returned me to the med-bay, slipping me carefully back into the cot. I arranged myself, sitting over the edge and looking up at Ratchet.

"Thank you Ratchet." I said. He smiled.

"You're welcome, friend." Ratchet said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone, I had no idea Black Ops was still so popular, so I'll try to continue. As a note, please review this and give me something to continue with. I'd appreciate any ideas, but as a bit of future reference, I'm planning on starting a little romance, hope that doesn't turn you off... well, here you go. PLEASE, unless I get something to go off of for a long time, this story is in danger of dropping off, and I don't want to do that to you guys, so could ya help me out?**

…**...**

A few months later, after I'd healed from being tortured and my broken leg was starting to function normally, my team had settled in well with the Autobots. Though none of them had a guardian like I did, they all had their favorites.

Collins usually spent his time with Que or as the Autobots called him, Wheeljack, learning all he could about the advanced technology and weapons of their race. Havii assisted Ratchet with the medical side of things, also learning valuable information of how he could help with triage for the Autobots if he had the right tools with him. Pierz's attitude melded with Sideswipe, and he had a thing for Corvettes, so they went well together. The Wreckers had taken a liking to Boulder, which I was told was an honor because the Wreckers were usually assholes to everyone. And Blitz, who was quiet but efficiently deadly, befriended Dino. The Autobots called him Mirage, which I actually liked better and so I called him that whenever I needed to talk to him.

We were all winding down for the night, the sun had started to set and the guard change was set to happen soon. I had been spending my days trying to walk without a limp, but Ratchet had warned me my leg might never be the same. Ironhide surprised me later, when it was dark, when he asked if I wanted to go for a drive.

"Sure." I agreed. Ironhide transformed into his GMC Topkick form and opened the passenger door. I hopped in, shutting the door behind me. He pulled out from the base past the guards, driving at an easy pace through D.C. I realized he had pulled onto the interstate taking us out of the nation's capitol, and I cocked my head in curiosity.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

"It's a surprise. And you forgot to mention something to me..." Ironhide said.

"And what is that?" I asked. I had the feeling he would be smiling if he weren't in vehicle mode.

"Today is your birthday." he answered simply. I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Well, yeah, I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want anyone to make a big deal about it." I said.

"I got the same feeling, so I kept it to myself. Where we're going is just my small gift to you." he said. I shook my head, smiling.

"Ironhide, you are my guardian, and you've saved my life on more than one occasion, I doubt I need anything more from you." I said. Ironhide chuckled.

"That may be, but I still wanted to show you this. I discovered a place when I was running recon a few weeks back and thought of you." Ironhide said, pulling onto an unused dirt road after we'd driven for a while. He pulled to the end of the road and stopped, and he opened the door for me.

I hopped out, then gave a small gasp at the view. Ironhide had stopped near the edge of a cliff, and straight down was the Atlantic ocean. The water appeared black under the full moon and the multitude of stars, but the waves sparkled like they'd been doused in glitter. I turned back to Ironhide, who had remained in vehicle mode.

"This is amazing...thank you." I said. With a small hum, Ironhide activated his holoform, walking over and standing next to me.

"You are very welcome. I realize it's not much of a gift..." he said.

"It's perfect." I said. Ironhide's holoform smiled, then he patted the hood of his vehicle mode.

"You don't have to get so close to the edge to see if you hop up here." he said, using the grille of his alternate mode to swing up himself. He leaned down, reaching his hand to me. I smiled and took it, and he easily hauled me up next to him. From here, it seemed like if I were to drop off the front of Ironhide's hood I'd fall into the ocean, but I knew that wasn't the truth. I looked over at Ironhide's holoform and then down at his vehicle mode.

"Uh, you don't mind this do you? I am technically sitting on you..." I said. Ironhide's holoform laughed.

"No, it's fine. Otherwise I wouldn't have put you up there would I?" he said.

"Good point." I turned my gaze up to the stars, silently picking out the constellations.

~Ironhide's POV~

Activating my holoform was a bit of a new experience for me still. I could see and feel and sense everything a human could from my holoform, but I still had my consciousness in my vehicle form as well. It was like being in two places at once, but I usually focused just on my holoform when I used it. I looked over at Morgan, she was staring up at the stars again, and I couldn't help but notice how the light was reflected in her eyes and made them sparkle. I subconsciously let my holoform smile, then a thought crossed my mind and I tried to shake it off.

_ What are you thinking? If you so much as hint you have feelings for a human, Optimus will tear out your Spark through your exhaust pipe!_ I tried not to let Morgan see my mixed emotions, instead just enjoying the small moment I'd made.

About an hour later, my holoform slid off the hood of my alternate mode and I reached up for Morgan.

"It's late, we should probably be heading back." I said. Morgan nodded, allowing me to help her down, and I deactivated my holoform as I opened the passenger door for her. She climbed into the seat, and I backed slowly around, heading back out to the highway. It wasn't long before Morgan started to nod off, and before we were even back to D.C., she was leaning against my window asleep. I smiled to myself, even in vehicle mode I could feel her soft breath on the glass, her weight pressed against the door panel, and I wished with all my Spark that I was human or she was Cybertronian. I had to keep my feelings in check, especially at the base. Optimus would kill me, even if I was his second-in-command.

On the outskirts of D.C., on a back road, I ran into (not literally) a familiar red Ferrari and I pulled to a stop smoothly so I wouldn't wake Morgan. My friend did the same and I spoke up.

"Mirage, what are you doing out this late?" I asked. He answered me in his heavy Italian accent that he preferred to use because of his car mode.

"My turn for recon. I could ask the same for you." Mirage said.

"I just took Morgan out for a drive. She's asleep, I'm going back to the base right now. Do you have your new friend with you?" I asked.

"Alright. And no, I don't. Though Blitz isn't too bad, for a human." Mirage said, revving his engine slightly and pulling forward. "I should go."

"Go ahead, I'll see you back at the base." I answered. We headed in opposite directions, and the guards let me in without a word. I pulled into the base, idling to a stop, and this time Morgan groggily pushed herself upright. She yawned, then good-naturedly stroked my door panel.

"Thank you for the present. It was beautiful and I had a good time. I'm really tired though, so I guess I'll see you in the morning." she mumbled. I opened the door for her and she slid out, waving as she went to where she and her team had been assigned bunks. I transformed, my gaze following her as I inwardly sighed.

_What will I do?_

…**...**

**I'm really sorry for how long this took and that the chapter is so short. I really need something to go off of besides Ironhide's little crush on Morgan... please review like I said at the beginning and tell me what I can do for either this chapter or the whole story. Keep in mind, every story has to have an end, so I need something that I can lead up to, reaveal, go off it for a while, and then end. PLEEEEEASE help a stuck writer out...**


	7. Chapter 7

**OMG! Broke through my writer's block finally! This gets a little sad and very violent in the later part, so there's your warning. Credit to the idea later goes to wherever I found it on fanfiction, I feel bad I can't credit the author directly, but I do the best I can. Enjoy!**

…**...**

~Morgan's POV~

Havii had been giving me therapy for my leg so I could now walk without a limp, and even Ratchet was surprised at how well I was healing. I still reflected on Ironhide's birthday present to me, though it had been a few days. Of course the feeling couldn't last, we were interrupted in our daily tasks by a splitting siren. I looked up at Ironhide, who was frowning.

"What's going on!?" I asked. Ironhide knelt down to me so I could better hear him.

"An energon detector has been triggered, there are Decepticons in the city! Are you fit to fight?" Ironhide asked. I nodded, catching up to Lennox as he ran past me.

"Where do you want me and my team?" I asked. Lennox told me on the go.

"Get them armed with Sable rounds, they pierce the Cybertronian's armor, and have them stay with the Autobot they befriended. Take your own rifle and get someplace high, the rounds in it won't pierce their armor, but if you can take out their eyes it would be appreciated. Stay in touch with each other and for god's sake be careful!" Lennox said. I saluted, remembering the line that Lennox used for his team.

"Bring the rain." I said. Lennox nodded, taking off, and I rounded up the weapons needed before I called my team. I tossed the modified guns to everyone, explaining what Lennox had told me, and looked at my team.

"I may be your commanding officer, but under these circumstances, I think Lennox has the most jurisdiction. With that..." I said, reaching my hand out to the others. They stacked their hands on top of mine before we headed our separate ways. I slung my gun over my shoulder, along with a small pack that had a radio and a few odds and ends.

"Let's go!" I said, hopping into the cab of Ironhide's vehicle mode when he transformed. He spun his tires as he took off right behind Pierz and Sideswipe.

…...

Ironhide let me out and transformed before we got to the heat of the battle. I edged along a building and peered around the corner of it down the street, getting my first glimpse of a Decepticon. I'm not certain which one it was, but Ironhide had told me of all the Decepticons he knew. I motioned him to look, and when he did he moved back instantly, trying to take me with him.

"What's the matter?" I asked. Ironhide shook his head.

"That's Starscream, we can't beat him." Ironhide said. I smirked.

"Not alone we can't." I replied, digging out my radio. "Hey guys, where are you?" I asked. Pierz, Boulder, Havii, and Blitz radioed in, Collins had stayed behind with Wheeljack at the base.

"Sideswipe and I are up a block from your position, pretty close to big ugly." Pierz said.

"Mirage und I have our own problems, sorry!" Blitz shouted into his radio. I heard I loud explosion on my radio and a sort of muted one in the distance at the same time.

"Me and the Wreckers are on the street opposite Pierz." Boulder replied.

"Ratchet and I are on the edge of the activity, call if you guys need backup or medical help." I nodded, glancing around for a plan. Getting one, I called to my team.

"Alright, listen up. Boulder, Pierz, you two and the Autobots stand by for a minute. I'm going to create a distraction. Hit him hard when I do, and I'll be trying to find someplace to set up. Everyone got it?" I asked. Everyone affirmed, and I crept out of the alley where I was hidden, aware of but not concerned with the missiles that Starscream seemed to have an endless supply of. Ironhide called to me.

"Morgan? What are you doing?" he asked. I looked back as I ducked by a car that was sitting by the alley where we had been hiding. Thankfully it was an older one, it would serve my purposes.

"Creating a distraction." I said. I picked up a chunk of concrete from the ground and broke the window of the driver's side, the one facing the alley. I wasn't worried about Starscream hearing me, he was too busy tearing up the street. Oddly, he seemed to be looking for something. I reached through the broken glass and unlocked the door, opening it quickly. I kicked the panel under the steering wheel, hard, and it cracked like I wanted it to. Kneeling and reaching into the car, I yanked the panel away and dug around in the wiring. Contrary to popular belief, there are no two 'magic' wires that are right there for you when you pull off the steering panel. Although, the concept that you can hotwire a car is true.

I pulled out the wires I needed, taking my combat knife out of my boot I cut the two I needed and stripped the insulation the best I could.

_Please let this work..._ I said, touching the wires together rapidly. I grinned when the engine roared to life, and Ironhide looked surprised.

"Here we go..." I said, taking a larger hunk of concrete and dropping it on the gas pedal after I shifted the car into 'D.' What a lot of people don't know is that many car's steering columns don't unlock if you hotwire them, as with this car, it took off and drove in a perfect, speeding line right into Starscream's leg. The car crumpled and died with the impact, and Starscream snapped away his limb as if it surprised him. He narrowed his gaze at the car, turning his attention to it, and this was all the distraction my team needed. Pierz and Boulder both fired at the same time, their rounds catching Starscream's wing and shoulder right before their Autobot friends broke cover and charged Starscream.

I looked up, searching for a good spot, and settled on the building next to Ironhide and I. It wasn't too much taller than Ironhide's reach, and I asked him if he could get me to the top of it.

"Alright." Ironhide said, lowering his hand to the ground. I stepped on, and he lifted me up as close as he could to the top of the building. I tossed my gun and pack up to the roof, then jumped and hauled myself over the edge.

"I'm good now, go help your friends!" I called to him. Ironhide nodded.

"Stay safe, I'll get you down from there later." he said, starting to run into the fray. I stopped him a moment.

"Ironhide!" I called. He looked back at me. "Give 'em hell." I said. Ironhide smirked and joined the battle. I set up my gun and peered through my scope, waiting for a shot. I didn't know if I could help or not, Starscream was moving his head to much and too randomly for me to take a shot. Starscream grunted when one of Ironhide's blasts knocked into him and he staggered a step. His gaze was knocked down to the ground, and I assumed he saw Boulder and Pierz in the battle as well, because he sneered evilly.

"It appears you've found even more humans to join you, pity it won't last!" Starscream said, breaking free of the fight momentarily and switching to a machine gun weapon mounted on his forearm. We could all only watch as his fire tore Boulder nearly in half, killing him instantly, and Pierz received a few bullets as well before the Wreckers smashed Starscream to the ground. I took my eyes off Starscream for an instant, looking through my scope to my fallen teammates. I knew Boulder was dead, but to my horror, Pierz was still flailing. Blood spattered the area around him and I ripped my radio out of my pack.

"Havii! Get here now! Boulder and Pierz are down, Boulder...is dead..." I said. Havii responded instantly.

"Oh no...Ratchet and I will be there soon. ETA 3 minutes." Havii said. I disconnected, not knowing if Pierz could or would make it that long. Sideswipe signaled his comrades and broke away, kneeling next to Pierz. I had lost two team mates, and now it appeared I would lose a third. The three minutes it took for Ratchet to pull up in vehicle mode and Havvi to run to Pierz seemed like some of the longest in my life, I can only imagine what it was like to Pierz. Though I couldn't hear him because of the battle raging just down the street, Pierz seemed to say something to Havii. Havii shook his head, but Pierz managed to reach out to Sideswipe.

Sideswipe put on the most human expression I'd seen on these guys so far, sadness. He rested his silver hand against Pierz, who then dropped his arm and I saw his head loll to the side. Havii radioed me, but I already knew what happened.

"He's gone." Havii said. I gritted my teeth, then whirled to the battle down the road. Starscream, though outnumbered at the moment four to one, was mercilessly holding his own. In horror, I saw him dig his claws into Ironhide's shoulder, grabbing his arm and twisting. From here, I heard a horrific screech of metal and Ironhide's optics widened in pain as he staggered back, grimacing as he held his useless arm. Fury building in me, I changed the channel on my radio so the Autobots could hear me.

"In exactly twelve seconds, everyone get out of the way!" I said. They gave no indication they heard me, but I pulled a small RPG gun out of my pack and loaded it quickly, taking aim. I counted down, and right as I fired, everyone scattered in different directions. The grenade struck Starscream directly in the chest and he stumbled back. Smirking, I moved back to my gun, but when I looked through my scope, he wasn't there. I only had time to hear Ironhide through my radio say,

"Morgan! Look out!" Suddenly, I was violently jerked up into the air by an extremely tight grip around my body. I wheezed as I felt my ribs compress and all my gear was left uselessly on the roof. I squirmed around to see I was in Starscream's grip, and I know I paled in fear.

"I should crush you right now, pathetic insect, but I have a better idea." Starscream growled. Jetting down to the street, he blew Ratchet and Sideswipe away and plucked Havii from beside Pierz, taking off suddenly into the sky. We both started to cry out as he flew too high, the pressure making our internal organs expand. Starscream noticed, and seemingly annoyed, dropped a few thousand feet. I was also freezing, flying at F-22 height with only an army uniform was not something you usually do.

Without warning, Starscream dropped down out of the sky, purposefully knocking Havii and my heads together. Stars flashed in my eyes and I blacked out instantly.

…...

I woke later, obviously I'd been roused by Havii, who was alert and kneeling next to me.

"Uhnn...where are we?" I said, putting a hand to the knot on my skull. Havii shrugged, helping me up. We were both in a cell, obviously meant to hold someone larger, but it served its purpose. The opening was shielded by a sort of blue energy barrier, and right before I touched it, Havii stopped me.

"I wouldn't do that. I got a pretty nasty shock when I did, it laid me flat, actually." Havii said. I quickly withdrew my hand, then backed a few paces back when Starscream approached the cell. He deactivated the energy barrier, and of course, snagged me from the cell, trapping Havii back inside. I writhed as he turned with me in his grip, and unceremoniously, he dropped me on a large metal table. He flipped me over onto my stomach, holding me there while he programmed something into a terminal next to the table. He released his hold right as something seized my wrists and ankles, prohibiting my movement. I twisted backwards to see him leaving for something, and I called to him, letting fury instead of fear come into my voice.

"Where are we, you sad excuse of a Decepticon?" I said. I heard Starscream growl from the other room, though he did reply to me with a loathsome tone.

"Did you think your precious Autobots were the only ones with a base? Well, this is ours, and where it lies is none of your concern." Starscream said. When he returned, I paled at what he had.

A brand, much larger than say, a cattle version, was held in Starscream's hand as well as a sort of metal cylinder with a spout and a small bucket. I thrashed, remembering my torture in Syria, and Starscream sneered.

"Oh, are we afraid? I myself can see you won't tell me anything I want to know, am I correct?" Starscream said. I glared at him, trying to give him a look that could kill.

"Damn straight." I said, pulling at my wrists again. Whatever held me was the same sort of energy as the wall to the cell, though the cuffs on my wrists and feet did not shock me.

"Very well, I thought a more suiting torture would be to forever mark you with the symbol of the most hated thing of the Autobots." Starscream said, lifting the brand that was smoking and still red-hot. My eyes widened at what it was, a perfect replica of the Decepticon insignia. Starscream narrowed his optics, placing a claw at the back of my army uniform and slicing downwards. I was afraid he was going to expose my spine when he did, but surprisingly, he didn't draw a drop of my blood, at least yet it seemed. I narrowed my own eyes, pressing my chest further into the table so Starscream couldn't humiliate me more than he already had.

Starscream picked up the brand, and now I knew it was inevitable. Clenching my eyes, teeth, and fists, I waited for the agony to come, and come it did.

As soon as he pressed the brand against my back, white flashed across my eyes and it felt like my very soul was being burned away. I screamed, its hot burn tearing through my throat was the only thing convincing me I wasn't dying. Of course it wasn't over.

As Starscream removed the brand, nausea rushed to meet me when I saw large patches of my skin melted to the metal. I closed my eyes again, an unwanted tear of agony sliding down my jaw. Starscream then dug something sharp into the edge of the branded part of my back, I assume his claw, and with precision traced the outline of the brand. I merely moaned softly in pain, the agony of my back seeming like nothing could compound on it. I felt my blood welling out of the raw mess that had to have been my back, and it ran down my bare sides to pool under me.

I weakly opened my eyes, the effects of shock setting in from what I recognized. The pain receeded slightly in my back, replaced by tremors that rattled my entire body. Starscream then picked up the strange cylinder, seeming to tip it with care over my back. Something new and molten was spreading over my back and I wailed again, going hoarse and not being able to cry out again. This process was the longest, and just as agonizing as the brand. I let my head rest on the table, starting to give up and hope that I'd pass out, when Starscream took the small bucket and upended it over my back.

Expecting more pain, I was unprepared when a cool wash of water splashed onto my back. It stung like fire but soothed at the same time, though I didn't dare move for fear of hurting myself.

"Done...And a masterpiece if I do say so myself." Starscream said with a sneer. He released my limbs, and roughly picking me up, he opened the cell and tossed me back in with Havii. I hissed at both movements, dropping to my knees near Havii as I tried to hold my shredded shirt over my chest. I knew Havii wouldn't mind, he was a medic and had seen it all, but for some reason I still wanted to preserve what was left of my dignity. He rushed to me as soon as I was returned, it was probably horrible for him to have been able to see what was going on. He knelt by me, gasping when he saw what Starscream had done.

"Oh, Morgan..." was all he said. He helped me to the back of the cell, patiently going very slowly so my back wasn't moved in the slightest. I gasped in pain again when he had me lie on my stomach, but then I wished nothing more but to stay where I was and not move an inch.

"What...did he do?" I asked, my voice catching. Havii looked at me.

"Exactly what he said he was going to."

…**...**

**Sorry for the abrupt ending in the chapter. Yay for graphic torture! I'm a weird one, alright? I take it as a compliment when someone says so too...anyway, hope this wasn't too gory for you, and I will see what I can do about getting the next chapter out sooner. Aurrawings out!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back! here's the next chapter!**

…**...**

~Havii's POV

"Oh, Morgan..." I repeated as I looked at the mess that used to be her back. A very clear and deeply branded Decepticon symbol took up most of the area from the back of her shoulders to her lower spine. I shook my head in disbelief at the seared skin, blisters, and blackened edges of the brand. I'd seen branding wounds before in the Army, but none this severe or large. Thank the Lord that monster hadn't taken my pack...

Whipping it off, I flipped it open and stuck it next to me. I noticed with worry that Morgan was very pale, and leaning down, I pried open one of her eyes to see the pupil widely dilated, even though the cell we were in was well lit. I tried to take her radial pulse, though I found it was too weak for me to find. I switched to the carotid in her neck, frowning when the beat turned out over 100 bpm. I cursed, tapping Moran and leaning down so she could hear me.

"Morgan, listen to me. You're in deep shock, most likely from the pain. I'm going to give you some fluids, you're dehydrated, okay?" I said. Morgan at least seemed to comprehend what I was saying, which was a good sign. I pulled out a bag of IV fluids from my bag, connecting it to a vein in the back of Morgan's hand, I set the fluid bag on top of my pack so gravity could take care of the rest. I muttered to myself, that 'Con had done a number on Morgan, and so soon after we fixed her from being tortured! I kept telling myself over and over that this brand wasn't fatal, but the one called Starscream could have helped me out by not pouring a bucket of water on Morgan. All that did was intensify her shock reaction...

"H—Havii..." Morgan whispered. I leaned down.

"Yes? What is it Morgan?" I said. She looked at me helplessly.

"I'm thirsty..." she trailed off. I nodded.

"I know. It's a symptom of the shock. I'll give you something to drink in a little bit, as long as you aren't going to throw up." I said. Morgan simply nodded, half-closing her eyes. Normally, I wouldn't give a patient water, but I didn't know when I'd be able to get her proper medical attention, and she _had_ lost a lot of fluids from the burn... There was also something I'd have to do that Morgan wasn't going to like.

"Okay, Twiggy, listen." I said. She shifted her gaze to me, managing a very weak grin.

"Been a while...since someone's called me that..." she whispered.

"I have to remove the dead tissue in the burn, that in itself shouldn't hurt, but I apologize ahead of time if I hurt you." I said. Morgan frowned, trying to drag herself over but hissing as soon as the muscles in her back irritated the brand.

"N-no..." she pleaded. I looked at her in sympathy, I knew her injury must hurt like nothing else, but I had to.

"Morgan, if I don't, your burn will get infected. If it gets infected, I don't know when I could get you to a place that has strong antibiotics, and you could get something as bad as gangrene. You don't want that do you?" I said. Morgan sighed, saying nothing, and I fished out a hemostat from my pack and a pair of scissors, sterilizing them even though they already were. I went to work removing the dead skin and tissue from around the brand, and Morgan did very well. She grimaced only once or twice, and only twitched once, though it was my fault. I cut a little too far down and hit a nerve when I was removing a small, blackened bit of tissue.

I finished, digging out my canteen as I did. I, very slowly, sat Morgan up. Handing her the canteen, I removed a roll of white bandages from my bag.

"You can sip that while I bandage you up." I said. Morgan was still slightly in shock, though she was coming out of it quickly with the small amount of treatment I'd given her. She looked a bit uncomfortable and confused as she held the remnants of her shredded shirt over her chest. I smiled gently and looked her in the eye.

"You're fine. I'm your teammate and your medic. It's nothing I haven't seen before. Besides, it'll help once you're wrapped up and when we're done you can have my T-shirt." I said. Morgan nodded, slowly releasing the remnants of her shirt. Like I told her, it didn't bother me, but for her sake I wrapped the bandage quickly. I kept it fairly loose so the wounds could breathe, and tied off the end of the bandage so it wouldn't slip.

I pulled off my camo overshirt, then the white T-shirt under it and handed that to Morgan. I gave her a 'just a second' gesture as I pulled my camo back on, then I helped her into the new T-shirt. I laid her back on her stomach slowly and she turned her head to look at me.

"Thank you, Havii." Morgan said. I put everything I'd used back in my pack, though some of it went into a biohazard bag.

"You're more than welcome, Captain." I said, saluting her. Morgan softly smiled, then closed her eyes. Her breathing quickly fell into a deep, slow rhythm, telling me she'd drifted off from exhaustion. I let her sleep, she more than deserved it.

…**...**

**Phew...another chapter. Sorry it's short... I am MORE than welcome for ideas in this or any of my stories. I'm struggling for a solid conflict in this one, so fans, put your evil side to work! Mine's been a bit overused lately...**


	9. Chapter 9

~Morgan's POV

I slowly fought awake from the comfort of sleep, and instinctively went to stretch, but pain flared across my back and I remembered instantly what had happened. I shuddered inwardly as my mind re-lived the experience. I hadn't told Havii, probably never would, but the memory of the smell of my flesh burning was going to haunt me forever. Very slowly and gingerly, I got up to my knees, trying to move my whole body at once so it wouldn't aggravate my brand.

I looked over and saw Havii asleep against the wall, his chin dropped onto his chest. I called him, and he instantly woke up.

"Morgan? How are you feeling?" he asked. I absently picked at the edge of Havii's T-shirt that he'd given me.

"I don't know...my back hurts like nothing else, I'm pretty sure I'm going to think of this in my nightmares for years to come, and we're stuck here." I said. Havii smiled sympathetically.

"I know, we'll get through it." Havii said. I thought back to the fight in the street, closing my eyes tightly.

"Boulder and Pierz are dead...And I saw Ironhide get hurt too." I said. Havii scooted over to me, sitting in front of me.

"What happened, happened. I wouldn't worry about Ironhide, he's as tough as you, and about as stubborn from what I've seen. And I do know that Ratchet will fix him up good as new." Havii reassured me. The sound of footsteps snapped our attention to the entrance of our cell, and we saw Starscream leading a much larger Decepticon to us.

"Master, the prisoners I captured..." Starscream said in a groveling tone. The larger Decepticon, who I suddenly realized was Megatron, snarled and grabbed Starscream by one of his wings with a terrible screech of metal.

"Did I order you to take prisoners? No." Megatron said, tightening his grip and starting to bend Starscream's wing in his hand. Starscream cried out in pain, pleading.

"No, master, please! The female, I marked her w-with our insignia!" he said. I narrowed my eyes at the creep. Megatron released Starscream, appearing to think about something for a moment.

"Normally...I'd have you terminate them...but the female can serve as a reminder to the Autobots we are always closer than they think. The male...I will allow him to live, not out of kindness, but in case the other one needs assistance making it back to wherever the Autobot base is. Starscream, drop them a few miles from wherever you found them. Go now." Megatron said. Starscream hastily bowed, then deactivated the energy barrier to our cell and reached in. He seized Havii first, then me. My eyes widened and I hissed in pain when his grip tightened around the brand he'd given me.

Starscream smirked, then knocked Havii and my heads together again, and after the stars danced in my vision for a few seconds, I blacked out.

…...

I snapped awake later, putting a hand to my aching head. Starscream was nowhere to be seen, and I gingerly got up on all fours, looking around. It appeared that Starscream had dropped Havii and I just outside the city limits, and I nudged him from where he was still lying prone next to me. He twitched, his eyes snapping open, and he sat up quickly. Havii put a hand to his head, which I'm sure hurt as much as mine. He looked around, a smile spreading across his face.

"I can't believe it, they actually let us live..." he said, looking back at me. I, again gingerly, got to my feet, as did Havii. I looked over at the skyline of D.C., sighing.

"Well, the base isn't getting any closer." I said, starting to walk to the road that was a few hundred feet from us. Havii caught up with me.

"Morgan, are you sure you can make it? Your back..." he said. I gave him a look.

"Yeah, it hurts like a mo-fo, but I can do it. Just as long as we go slow..." I said. Havii nodded, and we started walking down the road that led into town. It wasn't a busy one, but there was a fair amount of traffic. Havii and I got quite a few looks, and someone actually pulled over and called to us.

"You guys alright? You want a ride?" the kind man in the car asked. Havii glanced at me, then nodded. I didn't protest, every step I took stretched the muscles in my back, in turn aggravating my brand. Havii opened the back door for me, and I got in, though I was careful not to lean back against the seat. Havii got in the passenger side, and the man pulled back onto the road.

"I can't thank you enough for your kindness. You have no idea..." I said. The man smiled, glancing in the rearview mirror at me.

"No problem, I don't normally pick up strangers, but I'd make an exception any day for the military. Our vets don't get near enough appreciation as they deserve, this is the least I can do." he said. I managed a smile in return.

"So, where you guys headed?" he asked. Havii answered this time.

"D.C., In the city...but we can't tell you exactly where." he said. The man nodded, seemingly in understanding.

"That's okay, just tell me where you want out." he said. I gave him directions to a spot about a block from the base, that way he wouldn't see us go in there and we also didn't have to walk very far. He was silent for a moment, entering the city, then spoke up again.

"If I may ask, who are you and what happened to force you to walk on the side of the road?" he asked. I knew this was probably inevitable, so I sighed and explained at least the first part of his question.

"I'm U.S. Navy captain Morgan Green, and my friend there is U.S. Army sergeant and medic Havii Esquivel. As for how we got on the side of the road...I'm afraid I can't tell you." I said. The man nodded again.

"I understand. So, are you a captain of a ship or just captain in rank." he asked. I smiled.

"Just in rank." I answered. The man drove in silence then to where I'd directed him, and I thanked him once more as Havii and I exited his car. He gave us a salute and drove off, and I started towards the entrance of the base as quickly as I could stand. The guards at the front tensed when they caught sight of Havii and I, but then one of them cocked his head and took a few steps forward.

"Morgan? Havii?" he asked. I smiled.

"Yeah, it's us." I said.

…**...**

**Sorry for so long on the update. I have FOUR stories going at the same time, and this one kinda just got pushed on the back burner. I'll update when I can.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I got inspiration! Yaaaaay! i wonder how many were actually waiting for this or if you gave up on this... Ah well. ( I was watching 'Touched by an Angel' for like three hours and got some inspiration for a more sensitive chapter.)**

~Morgan's POV

"Morgan?" I looked up at a soft voice to see Ironhide's holoform standing in the doorway to the quarter's I'd been assigned. I had been sitting on the edge of my bunk, lost in thought as I cleaned my gun. I put it together quickly, setting it aside.

"Hey." I said. Ironhide walked in somewhat uneasily, and sat on the bunk beside me. He looked troubled, and he had his hands clasped between his knees with his head bowed. I shifted, looking at him. I felt the healing brand on my back tug, but it was no longer painful. I'd gotten better medical attention when Havii and I had stumbled into the base, and although I would have no bad affects, I would permanently have a brand seared into my skin.

"Alright, spill it." I said, resting my hand on his back. Ironhide flinched, then lowered his head further.

"I'm not worth being your guardian...I've let you get hurt too many times, and now...you'll never be able to forget the barbarics of those fragging Decepticons." Ironhide said.

"I don't need you as a guardian, Ironhide." I said. He looked at me, his blue eyes saddened.

"I knew it..." he said, starting to leave. I grabbed his muscular forearm and pulled him back, making him sit next to me again. I put my hands on both his shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes.

"No, I don't need you as my guardian, Ironhide. I say that because I need you as my friend, a one like Hawkeye was to me." I said. Ironhide's eyes widened.

"Oh, Morgan." Ironhide didn't look like he knew whether to smile or break down. He settled for pulling me into a hug, a rather gentle one, and I embraced him back. I felt his touch slide down my back and trace the outline of my brand. He whispered in my ear,

"Does it hurt?" he asked. I rested my chin on his shoulder.

"No, only the memory. God...I've had so much pain in my life in such a short time, the last thing I need is to lose you. Promise me you'll never go..." I said. Ironhide was silent a moment, then he clutched me tighter.

"I promise." he said, pulling back so he could see my face. Ironhide sighed, though from what I could tell it was a pleased one.

"Primus...I'm going to be in huge trouble..." Ironhide said, getting up. I did as well.

"And why is that?" Ironhide walked briskly out to the main hangar, gesturing to his alt mode that was parked in an empty bay.

"I'll tell you...but somewhere away from any that would care to listen in." Ironhide answered, opening the passenger door of his alt mode and gesturing for me to hop in. I did so, and his holoform shut the door before going around and sliding into the driver's seat.

About five miles from the base, I tentatively spoke up.

"Ironhide...why do you think you're in trouble?" I asked. He pulled over to the side of the road and his holoform turned to look at me.

"Because..." he started.

"I think I love you, Morgan.

**...**

**ARRGH! Sudden inspiration and then only a short chapter after it? Crap. Hope you all like this, I really appreciate reviews, and if you'd like to drop me any ideas you might want to see, I'd love to hear it. I'll tell you guys, I know how I'm going to end this, but i need some stuff to get me there. Let me know what you think! Aurrawings out! ^~^**


	11. Chapter 11

~Morgan's POV

"Ironhide…" I said, speechless, after his declaration. His holoform looked away from me.

"I'm sorry, if you don't feel the same way, I apologize for letting my emotions get the best of me." Ironhide said, reaching for the gearshift in his alt mode so we could pull back onto the road. I stopped him, and he looked up at me when my hand touched his.

"Morgan? What are you…?" Ironhide started before I leaned over the center console and kissed him. He almost broke away in surprise, though quickly surrendered to the gesture and returned it. After a few long seconds, I leaned back into my seat, and Ironhide's holoform looked at me. He slowly blinked his brilliant blue eyes, looking into my green ones he suddenly ducked his head and rested it on the steering wheel.

"Primus…what have I done…" Ironhide said, pulling back into traffic and heading back to the base.

"What do you mean?" I persuaded gently. Ironhide's holoform sighed deeply, troubled, but I could tell he was still reminiscing in the kiss I'd just given him.

"When we first came to this planet, Optimus set up a code of conduct for us here. Most importantly was that we don't harm any human, and we protect them at all costs. But others, like we were to remain 'robots in disguise,' seemed self-explanatory. One of the big rules Optimus put in place was that we weren't allowed, under any circumstances, to form relationships with a human outside of friendship or even declaring yourself an individual's guardian, as I have with you… and I've failed him…" Ironhide's holoform said.

"Oh no, no, no, Ironhide. This was my fault if anything, I'm sorry." I said. Ironhide's holoform looked at me.

"How is it your fault that I've fallen for you?" he asked. I was silent, though gave a weak smile. Ironhide sighed again as we neared the plant. "Even so…I should probably report this to Optimus…" Ironhide said. Right after he said that, my cell phone in my pants pocket rang, and, answering it, I heard Lennox on the other end.

"Hey, where are you and 'Hide? We just got back from that mission in Chernobyl, and let me tell you, you missed out big time. You guys should get back here ASAP and see what we got from there, a warning though, the Director of National Intelligence is arriving soon and Optimus seems to be really upset about something..." Lennox said, filling me in on everything that happened on the mission and hanging up just as Ironhide and I pulled through the gate to the base. I filled him in as we drove in, and as I was sliding out of his passenger seat I talked to him quietly after he deactivated his holoform.

"Let's just keep this quiet for now, I haven't had someone like you in a long time, and in these times I know I could use a friend." I said. Ironhide grunted in answer, and transformed after I had exited his alt mode. From across the base, I heard Wheeljack call Ironhide and I decided to follow.

"Ironhide, I've got a new invention I think you'll like!" Wheeljack called. Ironhide motioned for me to stay behind him once we got close.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Ironhide looked down at me with a smile.

"Hopefully nothing, but whenever Wheeljack says 'Come look at what I just made,' expect it to somehow, some way, blow up, even if it seems impossible." Ironhide said. When Ironhide approached the somewhat crazed inventor, Wheeljack shoved a giant gun into Ironhide's hands. 'Hide looked it over, surprised, as I heard conversation drift through the bay.

A very high and mighty looking woman was walking briskly through the base, a younger Asian lady who I assume was her assistant was scurrying behind her as Lennox struggled to keep up as well. I hid behind Ironhide's foot suddenly when I realized who it was. He ignored me, transfixed with his new weapon.

"This gun is my perfect invention Ironhide."

"Right." Ironhide said, attaching the gun to a compartment across his back. Wheeljack just seemed to notice the small procession and stepped over to them.

"The name's Que," he said, using the name the soldiers had given him, "I do hope you have answers for him, I've never seen him this upset…" Wheeljack said, glancing towards the bay where Optimus was currently parked in vehicle form. I ran after Ironhide there, and I saw Blitz walk up after Mirage went by.

"Ee's in a bad mood. Ee's a not talkin' to anybody today." Mirage said, walking away from the situation with Blitz in tow.

The woman, who I knew was Director Charlotte Merriam, looked at Optimus sarcastically. The only reason I knew it was her was because my team and I had often had to go through her before we were approved to take out a target. And let me tell you, I was GLAD that I didn't have to deal with her any more, though now it appeared I couldn't escape it.

"What's this, the silent treatment?" she said sarcastically, crossing her arms. Ironhide shook his head and stepped over to Optimus.

"We've seen that and this is not that." Ironhide said.

"Definitely not…" Wheeljack added. Ironhide turned to Optimus, frowning.

"Prime! Make something of yourself!" Ironhide said, hitting his fist on the roof of Optimus' alt mode. Instantly he started transforming, and Ironhide backed away near me.

"He's pissed."

I found it amusing when Optimus got about six inches away from the Director's face, pointing at the object on the table in front of her that Lennox had explained to me was an engine part from an Autobot ship.

For the next few minutes, we all sort of got a history lesson from Optimus and the Director explained the real reason why we'd gone to the moon in the 70's. Apparently, an alien ship had crash landed on the moon, and I got a surprise when we all got to meet Buzz Aldrin and the crew of the original manned mission to the moon. One of them went on about how many missions they manned, and how they took hundreds of samples but were sworn to secrecy. (I could understand that, considering the line of work I used to be in.) Ironhide looked down at them.

"Well did you search the crash vault?" he said. The astronauts were silent, and Optimus spoke up next.

"That ship was carrying an important technology that would have won us the war, and its captain." Optimus said. When the Director asked who, he continued. "The great Sentinel Prime, he was commander of the Autobots before me…" Optimus continued, and it was arranged that he and Ratchet would take their own ship to the moon and investigate. We all sort of disbanded to go our separate ways, and I ran my hand across Ironhide's leg, telling him I was going to go fill in my team.

I did as I said I was, looking somewhat sadly at the remainder of my group. Blitz, Collins, and Havii seemed a bit taken aback and to tell the truth, it was a lot to process for me as well.

What I did know was that the shit was gonna hit the fan, and soon…

…**.**

**So… another chapter done! I can't believe I got my muse back for this one, I was afraid I'd have to discontinue it, apparently not… As a warning, or more of a head's up, this has only two or three more chapters in the making, so yes, I am drawing it to a close. But don't be sad, I am trying to get back to writing my other fics as well! Aurrawings out! ^~^**


	12. Chapter 12

~Morgan's POV

I rolled over on my bunk in the night when something woke me. I was hard-wired to be a light sleeper, my training demanded it, so I propped myself up and looked around, blinking the sleep out of my eyes. A familiar pair of camo cargo pants was brought into my focus and I looked up at Ironhide's holoform.

"Hey…what's up?" I said, sitting up and stifling a yawn. I was wearing a midriff tank top and yoga pants since I'd actually bothered to change into something resembling pajamas. Ironhide laid me back down.

"Don't get up, it's really late." Ironhide said quietly even though we were the only two in my quarters. I did yawn this time, but managed to stay awake enough to talk.

"I'm sorry I woke you…I just wanted to see you." Ironhide said. I smiled, settling onto my bunk.

"Well then, I suppose I can't just kick you back out into the hangar." I said, sliding over to one side of my double sized bunk and patting the empty space. Ironhide hesitated, then sat on the edge of my bunk. I rolled my eyes, tired, and took his arm, pulling him down and making him lie facing me.

"Is this better?" I asked with a smile. Ironhide's holoform cracked a rare grin as well and he pulled me close to him, my lean body pressed against his muscular build. He brushed a bit of my hair out of my face and kissed me lightly.

"Much." Ironhide said. "Go back to sleep, I'll be here until you do." Ironhide added. I relaxed in his embrace, closing my eyes and resting my head against his chest as I drifted off to sleep.

…..

When I woke again, it was morning and Ironhide was gone, though when I sat up and looked over at my nightstand, I was surprised to see a necklace lying there with a card next to it with my name printed neatly across the front of the envelope. Sitting up and stretching, I picked up the necklace, examining it.

It was a beautiful carved metal cross, the borders curving elegantly and various levels of designs were etched into it. A twisted bit of thin wire connected it to a weighty chain with a sturdy clasp as well. It was big enough that I slipped it over my head where it clicked against my dog tags. I admired it for another moment before I picked up the card. Opening it, I read the small, neat print on the inside.

_Morgan,_

_ Good morning, I hope you rested well. I thought you might like this._

_ -I_

I smiled, getting to my feet and laying the card back on my nightstand. I changed quickly into a dark T-shirt and camo pants, laced up my combat boots, and headed out to the main hangar. There, I nearly got bowled over by Havii, who was jogging towards the med bay for the Autobots. He apologized, and I stopped him.

"Geez, where are you going in such a hurry?" I said. Havii was obviously excited about something and he replied quickly.

"Optimus and Ratchet just returned from the moon, evidently they brought back Sentinel Prime and some sort of advanced technology. Something's not right with Sentinel though, Ratchet said I can go help." Havii said, going to leave, but I saw his gaze was drawn to the cross hanging from my neck.

"Where did you get that?" Havii asked, admiring it.

"I bought it a while ago; I just haven't worn it until now." I lied quickly. Havii looked at it a few more seconds before seeming to snap out of it.

"It is very beautiful, it was a good buy. I have to go, see you later!" Havii said, turning and jogging in the direction he'd been going. I smiled, shaking my head, and went to find Ironhide. I looked in all the places he normally was, his bay that he recharged in, the weapons area, the main hangar, but I couldn't find him. I grabbed my comm set from my quarters and put it on as I kept looking.

"Hey Blitz, Collins, do you copy?" I said. Blitz answered first.

"Ja, Morgan, vhat do jou need?" Blitz said.

"I can't find Ironhide anywhere, does Mirage know where he went?" I asked.

"I'll ask." There was a short pause and Mirage's voice filled my commlink.

"E'es on recon. E'el be back in a little while." Mirage answered before I thanked him and disconnected my link.

….

I made sure I found Ironhide as soon as he came back, and I also made sure that no one else was close when I walked up to him in his alt mode. He rolled forward a few feet, engine a low rumble that I somewhat embarrassedly associated with his heartbeat when he was using his holoform.

"Turn on your holoform and follow me." I said. Ironhide complied, and I made my way back to my quarters. Ironhide walked in and I shut the door behind me (thank god the bunk rooms are soundproof.)

"Yes?" he said lazily and with a small smirk.

"You really didn't have to get anything for me…" I said, gesturing to the cross around my neck. "Speaking of which, where did you even get this? I haven't seen anything like it before." I said. "

"I made it." he answered simply. I gaped at him.

"You!? How?" I asked, looking down at it. Ironhide's holoform shrugged.

"I did it in this form, I borrowed some stuff from 'Jack to do it…The metal came from me actually, hope that doesn't turn you off of it." Ironhide said.

"What do you mean?" Again he shrugged.

"Little bits of metal and armor chip and bend sometimes, it's normal for us. I thought you might like something to remind you of me when I'm not around."

"It's lovely, thank you." I said, hugging him. He seemed surprised, though returned the gesture.

…

The day had been interesting, though mostly uneventful. The Director had returned at dark, the pillars that were recovered with Sentinel Prime were locked in top secret cases in a vault on the base, and Havii had been with Ratchet most of the day. I'd heard from him that Sentinel was alive, but in a sort of sleep mode since his energon reserve was nearly depleted. I was cleaning my gun alongside Collins when all of us were startled by a loud voice over the intercom system.

"Bee! Is Bee in there?!" A familiar voice said before it was cut off.

"Sam?" I questioned, looking at Collins. Bee whirred from where he'd been assisting a small team and transformed on the move, tearing out of the base.

"Guess that's a yes." Collins said. I put my gun back together and slung it over my shoulder, getting to my feet and going to find Ironhide. He was in vehicle mode, in recharge, parked next to Ratchet, and so I didn't bother him.

I heard Sam complaining and Bumblebee's familiar engine, and turning, I saw Bee leading Sam, his girlfriend and Lennox into the base. Sam greeted me, though kept following Lennox. Ratchet pulled himself out of recharge as they went by, transforming and going to leave.

"Yo, Ratchet, what's going on?" I asked. The medic looked down at me.

"We were planning on reviving Sentinel using Optimus' matrix of leadership, apparently we have an audience with Sam as well." Ratchet said, looking over at Ironhide, who was apparently still in recharge.

"If you can manage to wake him up it would be appreciated." Ratchet said with a somewhat sly grin.

"Will do, I'll be there in a little while, maybe you can fill me in on what's up with Sam." I said. Ratchet left, and I turned back to Ironhide still in his alt mode.

"Ironhide…Ironhide?" I said. He gave no sign he heard me, and I called his name a bit more forcefully, slapping the fender of his alt mode.

"Ironhide!" This time I did get a response, Ironhide seemed like he was startled, he transformed quickly and I saw he half-equipped his cannons before seeing it was only me.

"Oh Primus, I'm so sorry Morgan." Ironhide said, kneeling down.

"You're fine. Ratchet said to wake you up, they're reviving Sentinel now, he asked me to bring you along."

"I'm still sorry, times in the war kind of hard-wired me to pull cannons first, ask questions later." Ironhide said.

"Understandable, but let's go." I said. Ironhide scooped me up in his hand and lifted me from the ground, heading to the Cybertronian med bay where I saw quite a crowd was gathering. Ratchet pressed a button that sat up the table where Sentinel was lying, and Optimus was standing at the far end of the room, facing his old commander.

"Let us begin." Optimus said, walking towards Sentinel as the armor over his chest shifted and slid aside to reveal the matrix of leadership he kept within him. He balanced it as he stood in front of the former leader of the Autobots.

"Sentinel, old friend, we bid you return." Optimus said, pressing the matrix to Sentinel's chest. A bright light flashed and Sentinel's body jolted and shuddered. From my perch on Ironhide's hand I saw Sentinel's optics power on, though he overreacted even more violently than Ironhide had when I'd woken him.

He pulled an enormous sword off his back and tackled Optimus, pinning him to the floor and pressing the tip of his blade to Optimus' helm. All of us tensed, some soldiers pulling out their guns, though I heard Lennox call loudly over my comm for us to hold our fire. Optimus managed to calm Sentinel down.

"There is no need to fear." Optimus said. Ironhide set me down, going and standing near Ratchet and Bee.

"We are here." Ratchet said.

Optimus went on to explain to Sentinel what he'd missed, and then we all learned from Sentinel what exactly the pillars were for, and we all were taken aback. It was a teleportation technology, very advanced, and there was a danger that the Decepticons may know about it. I also later found out that a workmate of Sam's had been assassinated that day, that's why he showed up in such a hurry. I also learned that the guards at the main gate didn't know Sam and they overreacted a bit.

All in all, it was a big night, with much learned and new allies gained. I hoped our good luck would last.

…**.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Reviews and PM's are GREATLY appreciated. I'm curious to find out how you think this is going to end. Can anyone guess? This probably only has 2 more chapters to go, so yes, sadly, Black Ops is coming to a close. Aurrawings out! **^~^


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys, just letting you know, this is the last chapter of Black Ops, so...enjoy it while it lasts. (sorry for the the looonnngg delay in updating, I wanted to wrap it up and only had a few things I wanted to get down, and just couldn't find the inspiration to write) So, here I am at midnight with the plot bunnies chewing on my foot and my mind wide awake.**

…**...**

~Morgan's POV

Things had escalated quickly since Sentinel's resurrection. Fortunately, I was using the confusion and turmoil to my advantage. I'd taken to bunking with Ironhide at night; either he'd curl up next to me with his holoform or, more than once, I'd fallen asleep on his chest. The sound and warmth of his spark beating was like a lullaby to me.

Unfortunately, this, like other good things, must come to an end.

…..

I'd been informed that Sam and agent Simmons had gone with Bee to find out information on a couple of Russian cosmonauts that could possibly have information on the missions to the moon that were shut down. Much to everyone's surprise a couple hours later, Lennox ran in, already pulling on his gear. Ironhide rose to his full height from where he'd been cleaning his weapons next to me, frowning.

"Will, what's the matter?" Ironhide asked.

"It's 'Cons, they're after Sentinel and in pursuit of him on the D.C. Parkway." Lennox said, turning his gaze to me.

"Grab your guys, we'll need you and them for backup. Arm 'em and get back to me." Lennox said, jogging off to round up more guys. Ironhide loaded his cannons next to me.

"Finally! I can kick some Decepticon aft!" he said. I smirked, good-naturedly elbowing him in the foot. I picked up my gun from off the floor in front of me and slung it over my back. I already had most of my gear on, and was ready for combat. Making my job easier, Blitz, Collins, and Havii came running as a group and reported to me.

"Morgan, vhat are jour orders?" Blitz asked. I jerked a thumb at myself.

"Gear up, grab a gun, and then find Lennox, that's where I'm going." I said. What was left of my team nodded and scurried off, as I reached into one of my pockets and pulled out my commlink, stuffing it into my ear and activating it. I was getting an anxious, dreadful, butterflies feeling in my stomach that I always did before I went into a fight or made a kill, but of course I passed it off.

Ironhide looked down at me, smiling slightly.

"I doubt this is much, the report said only three 'Cons, though they're baddies, I've heard of 'em. They fight dirty...but not more than any other greaseball of an enemy." 'Hide said, I guessed at an attempt to reassure me. I suddenly heard a voice fill my commlink, sounding desperate.

"We need backup! Sideswipe and I are getting hammered out here!" Mirage called. Ironhide looked my way before transforming as fast as possible.

"I'm gonna go help, don't worry, okay? They don't call me 'Ironhide' for nothing." he said in his alt mode before tearing out of the main hanger hard enough his tires skidded. I watched him for an instant, then couldn't stand it and shifted up onto my toes, breaking into a dead sprint. My gun tapped against my back and my boots thudded against the pristine white tile floor.

I ducked around the exit doors and ran for the main gate, nearly smacking into Lennox who was going the same way.

"Shit hit the fan, this is way worse than I thought." Lennox said, flashing me a look that said 'I'll explain everything later.' I saw Ironhide just bursting through the main gates as Bee and Sideswipe drifted around a corner at the far end of the road, two black suburbans practically sniffing their bumpers. I saw Sam lean out Bee's window as Ironhide accelerated past him, yelling something. I'll admit, I gasped when I realized Ironhide wasn't even going to slow down for the two SUV's.

He plowed into the two 'Cons with enough force to kill them, or so I thought. While the collision had sent all three of them twisting up into the air, they all transformed faster than I'd seen any of them do before. The fight then moved down a street and I could no longer see what was going on, but Sideswipe transformed next to Bee as Sam got out of his alt mode.

"I'm gonna go help 'Hide, you guys stay here." he said, taking off towards the fight.

I waited in apprehension for the fight to end, dying to see if my guardian and, I'll admit it, more than just a friend, emerged. In the wait, Sentinel drove into the holding lot in his alt mode, not bothering to transform, and thankfully, when I turned back, Ironhide was driving back, albeit a bit slowly, behind Sideswipe. I noticed, when he transformed, he had an ugly wound in his shoulder, but Sam cut me off before I could ask about it.

"Guys, you gotta get Sentinel inside, you gotta guard him. He's like, the key to this whole thing." Sam said. Sentinel transformed, standing to his full height, even taller than Optimus. All of us turned to him when he spoke.

"Indeed I am... What you must understand, my Autobot brothers, is that we were never going to win the war. A deal had to be made... with Megatron." Sentinel said. Before any of us could do anything, before I could even breathe, Sentinel loaded his cosmic rust gun and shot Ironhide in the back. Twice.

I screamed, I know I did, whether it was 'no' or just an expression of my grief, shock, and pain, I didn't know, but I dashed forward, even when Lennox barked, "Get back!" Ironhide leaked vital fluids from his mouth, the mouth that had first uttered the words to come with him...to ask to be my guardian...my friend...

"Wh-what have you done?" Ironhide groaned. Sentinel leveled his gun at Ironhide once more.

"I hereby discharge you from duty..." he said, firing. Ironhide jerked as an explosion shot out of the armor on his chest. I felt a tear streak down the side of my face, and, without thinking, whipped my gun off my back as I reached Ironhide's side. I stood near his slackening face, joining Bee's fire on the crazed Prime.

"Die, you freaking bastard!" I cried with more tears running down my face. "You killed my friend you asshole!" I screamed over the tumult. Sentinel armed a machine gun and aimed back at Bee, firing, though he swept it sideways to track Bee's movement.

I was unprepared for the pain that struck me as the Cybertronian's ammo ripped through my body. It felt like I'd been sucker punched in the gut, and I crumpled to my knees, my rifle slipping from my grasp and clattering to the asphalt. I knew what it was like to be shot, I had two purple hearts, but I counted four spreading bloodstains on the camo of my uniform over my chest and stomach.

I was surprised at a slow movement next to me, Ironhide dragged a rapidly rusting arm over the tarmac with a scrape, moving his hand as close as he could to me. It was his final gesture, a goodbye, as I saw his optics flicker out and rust consume his helm. With disgust, I watched as the joint holding on his head rusted through and it fell off, rolling a short distance from his body. I swayed, even on my knees, and slouched forward, bracing one arm against the ground and the other I clamped over my stomach, although the effort was probably futile. I swung my head around the battlefield, Sentinel had moved into the N.E.S.T. Base, and I noticed hazily that my team and Lennox were running my way.

Havii knelt next to me, between the bulk of Ironhide's body and my bleeding self.

"Oh, Twiggy..." Havii said, resorting to my nickname instead of my rank or real name. I realized it must be bad, and frankly I was too distraught to care. Ironhide was gone, and I didn't know what to do without him. Lennox took in the scene sadly, then tugged on Collins.

"Hey, man, you're with me. Havii, Blitz, stay with Captain Greene." Lennox said, sprinting to the base with Collins in tow.

Havii pulled me gently upwards and stretched me out on my back next to Ironhide. He looked like he was working frantically, but my vision was honestly a haze. Blitz knelt next to me, looking at Havii and silently asking if there was anything he could do. He waved Blitz back. Havii untucked my uniform and hitched my shirt and camo up to the level of my bra. I didn't even have the strength, or the will for that matter, to resist.

"Havii..." I croaked, feeling something wet run out of the corner of my mouth. He put a finger to my lips but I shook my head.

"Havii." I said, loud as I could. My voice cracked in my throat, drowned in blood. "Don't even try..." I said. Havii looked at me desperately. I felt something like a static-y warmth inviting me as my feelings dulled.

"Morgan, you are talking crazy, be quiet so I can work." Havii said, fishing an I.V out of his medical bag and taking my arm. With as much strength as I could muster, I jerked away before letting my arm fall back to the asphalt.

"It's okay...it...it feels like my time to go." I said. I half-noticed that a pool of blood was slowly creeping outwards from under me, and I could just barely feel the thick, ropy scar that edged the outside of my brand as it rubbed the tarmac. Havii pleaded and I finally snapped.

"I loved him, Havii...and he loved me... Just let me go...it'll be alright. That's an order..." I said, my vision becoming intensely blurred as I felt a black wave rush up to meet me.

~3rd person POV

Havii looked helplessly at his captain that lay bleeding out on the ground. She had ordered him to let her die, and honestly, from a medic's standpoint, she was beyond saving. Blitz went on one knee next to Morgan, taking her hand as her eyes started to glaze over.

"Ju are ze best commanding officer I could have ever had." Blitz said. Havii nodded, starting to recite the Lord's Prayer in Spanish. Morgan quirked her mouth into a weak smirk, whispering,

"He's waiting for me..." After that, her eyes half-lidded and her face went slack peacefully. The blood pouring from her wounds stopped, and Blitz let her hand rest on the ground. Havii, in confirmation, pressed two fingers against her throat, under her jaw and waited a few moments before rocking back on his heels and shaking his head.

"She's gone."

…...

-Time lapse: after battle for Chicago

Blitz and Havii stood in their full dress in front of Morgan's grave at Arlington cemetery. She'd been buried soon after all the turmoil had ceased, though the dirt was still soft over her grave. Both gave a crisp salute, standing at attention in silence for a full five minutes in her honor, a minute for each year they'd both served under her. Havii patted the gravestone.

"You will be missed..."

"More than jou know..." Blitz finished his sentence. Havii slapped Blitz on the back in comfort and they walked further into the cemetery to find Collins, who had been killed in action when he'd gone with Epps' team to find Carly.

…...

**I don't think Arlington gravestones have an epitaph, but if they did, Morgan's would read something like this:**

_To all the scary, badass chicks out there_

_who refuse to put up with injustice_

_and have faced their own nightmares,_

_Keep up the good fight._

…**...**

**And that, my friends, concludes Black Ops. Yes, it made me sad to write the end. Do I regret it? No, well... maybe a bit. If I made you cry, brownie points to you, I was going for tear-jerking. Let me know what you think. Aurrawings out!**


	14. SPECIAL NOTICE CHAPTER

~Morgan's POV

My final moments on this world seemed like agony, yet at the same time incredibly peaceful. My wounds ceased to be painful, becoming only dull and numb. My eyes closed and I surrendered to the void.

Strangely… I had the distinct feeling of hearing voices, clear ones, right before everything went dark…

~3rd person

"Simulation is ending, ma'am. Preparing to disconnect monitors." A dull male technician said, looking at his instruments.

"Excellent…wake her up."

…

**Hey all! Sorry for the really short thing, it's just to make this chapter legal. I've decided I can't let this go just yet, TimeLordBud has given me a great idea to continue this and with his MUCH appreciated help, I'm gonna continue. Next time we'll get into what happens here, hopefully all my followers will return for more!**


	15. Black Ops part Deux: Paradigm

**Hope everyone's excited for this new thing! I know I sure am! **

…

~3rd Person

Morgan floated on the inky darkness that she had surrendered to, enveloped in a feeling like being submerged in warm water. Muffled voices reached her ears, and she thought maybe it was the angels beginning to call to her. This notion was chased away when the loud, frightening noise of a mechanism screeching on stiff gears permeated her silence.

Suddenly, a shaft of searingly bright light fell straight on her face, in her eyes, and the shock of it was enough it physically _hurt._ Firm but gentle hands gripped her upper arms and hauled her upright. Her mind spun, trying to adjust, make sense of the chaos. The sound of water streaming off her body into whatever she'd been held in was unnaturally loud, and also painful to her ears.

"I'm n-not dead?" she said, her voice quavering.

Morgan blinked in the harsh light as her eyes adjusted to see a man and a woman leading her away from what she now saw was a sensory deprivation chamber. The chilled air in the room felt like it was biting into her, raising goosebumps on her flesh and causing her to shiver uncontrollably. The thin gown she was in was open in the back, exposing her white bra, and when she was sopping wet, it left little to the imagination. The female tech took notice and immediately wrapped Morgan in a thick white robe, leading her to a seat and helping her sit before she shone a light in in both her eyes.

"No, you aren't dead; in fact, you're very much alive, Lieutenant Commander Greene."

Morgan shivered again and blinked at the light, dazed and confused.

"My rank is Captain…" she offered.

"Captain was your rank this time in the simulator." The female tech's face changed slightly into concern. "What else don't you remember?" She looked at the male tech. "Dr. Arkaville is memory loss normal?"

The male tech, older, with liver spots and short-cropped silver hair leaned in. "Many subjects experience bouts of amnesia, but usually temporary. She should be recalling things clearly soon." he responded. Morgan was becoming more aware, and in turn more defensive as she was poked and prodded.

"What the hell are you talking about?! Where am I and what is this place!?" she cried. As her blood pressure rose, an immense wave of nausea washed over her and unable to stop herself, she heaved her last meal onto the pristine floor. The female tech hurried over with a pink basin to catch any more vomit, and she gently rubbed Morgan's back as she tried to catch her breath.

"Just relax Commander, it's only the aftereffects of the drugs." the female tech said.

"Drugs? What did you give me!?" Morgan said, feeling another rush of nausea and dry-heaving into the basin. Taking a shuddering breath, she looked around her surroundings, trying to remember any of her former training, but it was fuzzy. The female tech smiled.

"You're at the Farm, it's what we call this base here in Carson City. Remember the Skywatch division?" Morgan looked at the patch of the insignia on the tech's lab coat, and the word seemed to resonate in her head, like she'd heard it before. Morgan furrowed her eyebrows, a few flashes of a lab and shaking hands with scientists forming in her head.

Suddenly, a woman in a dark suit strides into the room. Morgan looked at her, getting the odd feeling she knew her, she just wasn't sure how.

"How did she do in the simulation?" the woman in the suit asked.

Dr. Arkaville stood from his patient to converse with the new woman.

"She performed as well as expected, the results were the same. The implant worked _too_ well." he said quietly. The woman narrowed her eyes at Morgan.

"Then run it again." The female tech immediately protested.

"Ma'am, she's having an adverse reaction to the drugs, Agent Greene, she needs a rest." Morgan stiffened at the mention of her last name.

"What…what did you just say?" she said. Agent Greene looked at Morgan with amusement.

"Seems like her brain is more scrambled than usual." Agent Green said, thinking a moment. "Fine, move her to the last session of the day, but she goes back in. And this time, up the parameters of the test. At this point she's our best hope for the experiment, and I have Director Witwicky up my ass for answers!" she snapped before leaving the room.

"What did she mean by Witwicky? Sam Witwicky?" Morgan said, confused. A sharp pain in her head made her groan, and she felt the oncoming migraine from the stress.

Morgan hissed at a sharp pinch in her shoulder, and snapped her head to the side to see the female tech removing the needle from an inoculation gun from her arm.

"There, that should help with your nausea and the effects of the drugs. And no, she means Carly Witwicky, the Director of National Security. She's threatening to shut this project down if we can't synthesize the implant in you."

"What do you mean by implant?"

"A real innovation of science, really. The Cybertronians? They are real, I can tell you that much. Our government has been doing experiments to find a way to convert energon from its toxic state to something usable by humans. You, so far, are the only one to survive this procedure, and under normal circumstances, it enhances all your senses tremendously." The female tech explained. Morgan, slightly scared and very confused, put her face in her hands.

"None of this makes sense anymore…."

…

**Sooo…how was this? Unexpected? This new idea and pretty much the entire chapters couldn't be done at all without TimeLordBud, thanks dude! Reviews are appreciated!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Alright, new chapter!**

…

"This is all so confusing…I don't remember any of this." Morgan said, frowning. The female tech gave a small, comforting smile.

"Then you probably don't remember me, I'm doctor Emily Carter. I'm one of the scientists here." She pulled up a seat in front of Morgan.

"I just need to undo your gown for a moment so I can check the implant, is that alright?" Dr. Carter said. Morgan gave a slow nod, fairly comfortable with her doctor's kind and unthreatening manner. Emily then took a small pen-like device attached by a thin wire to a small metallic box with a handle. After programming a few things, she waved the wand over Morgan's chest and she looked down to see a blue light the size of a hockey puck emanate from the front of her left shoulder. A line of the same blue light traveled from the center of the original light and down her arm.

When it reached her forearm, the light seemed to fill a sort of rod embedded under her skin and glowed even brighter. All the light seemed to drain into the rod and illuminated the muscle and veins through her skin. Morgan's eyes widened, but she tried to keep her cool; she'd seen some pretty crazy inventions of Wheeljack's when she'd been in the Autobot base…But now she wasn't sure if that was even real anymore.

"The implant is working fine, how do you feel?" Emily asked with a smile as she turned off the device. The blue glow faded from Morgan's body slowly.

"I do feel a little better…but can I just say, what, the fuck? Still a little nauseous, but I don't think I'll throw up again." Morgan replied.

"We'll get you to a bed soon, but first I need to ask you some questions about the simulator session. What is the earliest thing you remember?" Emily asked. Morgan thought, but not very long.

"The night I returned from a tour, the night I was mugged…" Morgan said, trailing off. Emily nods as she jotted down a few notes.

"Who was the first Autobot you had contact with?" This time Morgan responded immediately.

"Ironhide." Emily nodded and scribbled down more notes.

"In times of heighted stress or excitement, did you feel you performed above average?" Emily asked. Morgan stared a moment before answering.

"Uh…I performed like I was trained, if that's anything. Tough out pain, assess the situation, choose the best strategy to get out alive…stuff like that." Morgan said.

"What most do you remember about the Decepticons?" Morgan's eyes narrowed in memory.

"They're assholes. They killed my partners and my best friend…" Emily raised her eyebrows.

"Guess I didn't need to ask _that_ one." She set down her clipboard and looked at Morgan. "Okay, last one for now, I promise. Do you have any questions Commander Greene?" Morgan almost laughed.

"More than you know… What happened and why can't I remember anything? It still feels odd to be called Commander after being ranked Captain so long…" Morgan said a bit quietly. Emily gave a sympathetic smile.

"That's because the simulators are designed to be so real. You may feel as if it's real life, but we run the simulator to make sure the energon implant in you is working correctly. The simulator was so real to you, you got used to being called Captain, but I assure you; you are a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy. You are 25 and were born in Sioux Falls, Iowa. You are the daughter of Craig and Peggy Greene, and you graduated from the Naval Academy with top honors. You were selected for this project out of 350 other viable candidates, oh, and you aren't pregnant." Emily said. Morgan raised an eyebrow at the last part.

"We have to make sure the candidates aren't pregnant before the experiment, it's standard procedure." Emily said with a nervous chuckle.

"Why would I be? I still don't remember…but at least that sort of sounds right." Morgan said.

"Dr. Arkaville is big on procedure…because what we do is so important, we can't risk skipping a step. Do you think you can eat something? Or do you want sleep?" Emily said, touching Morgan's arm. Morgan rubbed her temples tiredly, but relaxed, beginning to trust her doctor.

"I don't know, whatever you think is best…" Morgan said, looking up at the female tech.

…**.**

**IK this was a weird place to stop, and this is confusing, but bear with me XD. I bet you all got your minds blown just as much as morgan!**


	17. Chapter 17

**EIGHT MORE DAYS OF SCHOOL! WOOT! Hopefully the summer will bring more writing, but I dunno… ONWARD**

**...**

Soon, Morgan found herself clean from a hot shower and dressed in a clean, olive drab flight suit. Things were beginning to seem familiar, but she still could quite remember what had happened. Roaming the halls of the compound, she stumbled across the mess hall and a few of the people inside waved her in and got her a tray of hot breakfast. Awkwardly, she sat off by herself and tentatively picked at her food before realizing it was good and she was famished. Occupied with eating, she didn't notice two men across the cafeteria nudge each other and make their way to her table.

Both joined her, one sliding into a chair beside her and the other taking a seat facing her, dropping their own trays on the table with good-natured looks. She started slightly, recognizing the two but not able to put her finger on whom they were exactly. They seemed important, anyway. One, taller, was African American with a bald head; the other was closer to Morgan's height with short cropped red hair. Their name patches read 'Collins' and 'Campolongo.' Morgan shifted uneasily in her flight suit.

"Um…good morning. Can I help you?" she said. The two guys looked at each other and laughed. Collins elbowed her while he spoke to both Morgan and Campolongo.

"Damn girl, looks like they really scrambled your brains this time!" Collins chuckled. Both men ate between words now. "They said you might have longer than normal amnesia." Collins said with a mouthful of eggs as Campolongo jumped in.

"Oh, I can help with that." The tall African American said, switching to a very cheesy German accent. "Jour name is Elmer J. Fudd und ju own a mansion und a yacht." All three now cracked up, earning a few odd looks from the others in the mess hall. Both of these two had the rank of Captain, and both acted as though they were very familiar with Morgan. She allowed herself to relax a little at the sophomoric attitudes of the two.

"Okay, I'm not that naïve." Morgan answered with a smile. She decided to make an honest effort getting to know them both. "But yeah…my head is really screwed up right now, I'm not really sure what's real and what's not." Collins shook his head as he chewed on a piece of toast.

"Well, I'm Collins and that shit stain over there is Campolongo." Collins said as +4

Campolongo waved while eating his Fruit Loops. "We're on the same crew as you, we run surveillance on Earth's new 'Political Refugees.'" he said as Campolongo made a sound that reminded Morgan of the noise Ironhide made when he transformed. Morgan gave him an odd look, then something clicked in her head and she nearly fell out of her chair.

"COLLINS? Like, you're actually real? My head isn't hanging onto you from the simulation?!" Morgan exclaimed. Collins smirked, then stuck the fork he was using in the back of Morgan's hand, just a playful jab not hard enough to break the skin. Morgan yelped and jerked her hand back, giving him a look.

"That feel real enough to you?" Collins said with a smirk. Campolongo chuckled.

"Awww, you made it into her simulation." he said. Morgan rubbed the back of her hand, briefly examining the row of indents in her skin.

"Yeah, that felt real, you bastard… but why would you be real and no one else? What about Havii, Blitz, Pierz…Hawkeye?" Morgan said. Collins scratched his chin.

"Well, I don't know who Hawkeye is. Havii and Pierz are on a mission in Sierra Leone, and Blitz…I think you might know where he is, depending on if he's still in your room." Collins said as he polished off his plate. "Look, if things are still fuzzy tomorrow you need to go see Dr. Arkaville. We'll see you later, we've got a flyby mission for Jasper Nevada. Talk to you later, Greene!" Collins said, getting up with Campolongo to leave. When Collins had gone, the other man quickly turned to Morgan and leaned down, talking quietly.

"Ahhh…you wouldn't happen to remember poker night last week, would you?" Campolongo said. Morgan raised an eyebrow, slowly shaking her head.

"Good!" Campolongo smiled, spinning on his heel and catching up with Collins. Morgan thought for one moment she'd call after them, but decided against it.

_But…I saw Pierz die by Starscream's hand…and why would Blitz be in my room?_ Morgan thought to herself, shaking her head and going back to her now-cold breakfast.

…**.**

**Sorry if this is a bore, I'm making sure I establish a base and try and alleviate most of your confusion! Chapters for a little bit now will be to catch you all (and morgan) up to what's really going on. ^~^**


	18. Chapter 18

**Wow, sorry for the long delay! A big shout-out to TimeLordBud for getting the wheels turning for this fic again. Updates may be far between, I'm afraid, but I'm not giving up on this story. Again, thanks dude for all your help! This wouldn't be possible without you!**

**This chapter: Morgan tries to re acclimate herself to her actual life and there will be a brief glimpse of a new enemy faction!**

…

Morgan was still struggling to wrap her head around everything, but was slowly starting to grasp that this was reality. An orderly dressed in white had come to her table and helped Morgan to her feet when she'd finished eating, insisting that she be shown the way to her quarters.

"This way, Commander." the orderly said, placing her hand on Morgan's upper arm and guiding her though several long corridors to one with a bit dimmer lighting and an ugly but homely short carpet on the floor.

"Here we are, just remember it's the third one on the left. Welcome home! You're more than welcome to explore the compound as well to get you bearings, oh, and you'll need this to get into most of the rooms." The orderly said, dropping a keycard into Morgan's hand and pointing at a small scanning pad next to the door before leaving. Morgan watched her leave, then swiped the keycard and noted the heavy clunk as the lock inside the door disengaged. She entered her quarters and shut the door behind her, getting an odd feeling of deja vu and also a feeling like she'd just walked into her own house.

Morgan looked around the perfectly normal room, surprised that it looked like her apartment might have. It was mostly clean, a small amount of clutter making it realistic and giving her the illusion she might have only left for a short while. Her eyes fell on a fairly large cage against one wall close to her bunk and she looked in, curious.

An inquisitive black and white face looked up at her with dark oil spot eyes, whiskers twitching. A cute but full-grown rat was clinging to the bars of its cage with it's front paws whilst keeping its tail neatly wrapped around its hind feet. Morgan's sharp eye caught the small nameplate on the front of the cage and she nearly laughed.

"Blitz...I should have known." she laughed shortly to herself, letting the rodent sniff her hand through the bars of the cage. She stepped back from her apparent pet and looked around the room again, recognition and memories flooding back to her every minute. She shook her head, grumbling at another oncoming headache, and made her way to the door, letting herself back into the hallway.

Morgan looked down the carpeted hallway and then down another that changed to white tile halfway down. She took that direction, following the corridors until it started to seem very familiar. Quite on accident, she walked directly into the medical wing and stopped, unsure of where to go or what to do. She lifted her head in recognition, though, when the older doctor she'd spoken with earlier got her attention.

"Ah, Commander Greene. I see you're up and about, that's a good sign. How's your memory coming?" he asked. Morgan gave a small nod.

"Better, I think. This is all becoming so familiar, like I know I've been here. I think I remember my room too." she answered. The doctor clapped his hands.

"Marvelous! It seems you are finally recovering. It was a minor setback about your reaction to the simulator this time...but no matter, I think you'll do fine! You are the star of this study, after all." the doctor said, making Morgan feel a little uncomfortable but she hid it nonetheless.

"Yeah...about that, what again was it that I'm a part of?" Morgan asked nicely, hoping she'd get a more in-depth answer from the doctor. He waved his hand.

"You'll remember it in a short time I'm sure, but for now... You were part of a large study and group of experiments cataloging the effects of energon on humans and seeing if it could be refined or used in some way to benefit the homosapien race. In you, we found that certain individuals can be tolerant of the implant that allows the energon to be altered into a semi-nontoxic state that one could tolerate in one's blood. No doubt the effects are masked from your recovery, but in theory from your test results, this substance can allow humans to greatly increase their physical speed and reaction time, heighten the senses of perception, and increase strength by as much as twenty percent!" the doctor exclaimed in a bit of a mad-scientist way. Morgan listened in curiosity, speaking again.

"The Cybertronians...the Autobots, if you will, are real. Correct?" Morgan asked. The doctor nodded emphatically, waving her over to a computer console and having her sit after he accessed the passcode and brought up a file.

"Oh yes. There is a small team of Autobots that are being kept under political refugee status and they've allied themselves with our government. They sort of help solve our problems and keep the bigger baddies at bay." the doctor said, looking over Morgan's shoulder.

"Those are all profiles of the Autobots currently known to reside on earth. Their enemies, the Decepticons, are less known. We do have some vague, shady intel that a vagabond group has allied themselves with a human faction...but we've yet to confirm it... I'll leave you to it then." the doctor said, clapping Morgan on the shoulder before leaving. Morgan took a deep breath and clicked to the first page of the document.

A computer-generated picture of Optimus appeared on the screen, a block of text next to it. She looked around, making sure no one saw that she actually recognized the bots for fear they might think it another side effect. She felt relieved, actually, to see the leader of the Autobots was real and actually existed. She scrolled through the text, finding it was mostly statistics.

_Designation: Optimus Prime_

_Optimus Prime is leader of the group of autonomous beings from the planet Cybertron, they've sworn to protect our planet an-_

She skipped his profile, clicking the next arrow to see Ratchet, still looking like normal. Bumblebee was on the next page, of course in a 'warrior' pose with his battle mask drawn. After that was Jazz. She was taken aback, she'd been told Jazz was torn in half by Megatron himself, and Ironhide was the one that had found him. Then again...everything she'd been told had now been called a lie. Confused, she saw that his stats read "First Lieutenant," that had been Ironhide's post... Next on the screen was Sideswipe, still looking as he always did. She clicked again, and the picture of Optimus came up again, signaling the list had been gone through.

Morgan frowned, scrolling through the list again before calling the doctor back over. He walked back to the console and leaned down.

"Yes?"

"The Autobots...there aren't very many of them..." Morgan started. The doctor chuckled.

"No, that's why I said 'small' team. However, Optimus has informed us that his team has made contact with an even smaller group of renegades that they're trying to convince to come here under our government's blessing." the doctor answered. Morgan kept her frown.

"What about Ironhide?" she asked.

"Who? Sweetie, he might have just been created for your simulation. You can ask around, but I've never even heard that name before." the senior doctor said. Morgan stood suddenly, nearly tipping over the rolling chair she'd been sitting on.

"I have to go." she said curtly, brushing past him and walking past the gurneys and I.V stands to the doorway.

"Commander!" the doctor called after her, but she chose to ignore him. In a mental blur, she walked briskly back the way she came.

….

"Swindle...are you sure we can trust these humans? They are a pathetic and primitive race...we don't need them!" A voice spoke from the darkness of a run down warehouse. A flash of purple optics turned his way, narrowing.

"What are you saying, Brawl? That I made a bad decision? Why don't _you_ be the leader then!" The rogue Combaticon said. Brawl sighed, looking back at the other small group of their number in recharge close by.

"I'm just sayin', we've all seen better days. I can't do us any better, so I'm fine with things right now..." The grunge-coated Cybertronian said. Swindle scoffed.

"Well good...we're all beat up and low on energon, and these small creatures think us gods. With luck, we can get them to mine energon _for_ us, and when we're back on our feet, well, we'll see how useful they are then." Swindle said, chuckling darkly as Brawl joined in.

….

Morgan's thoughts were going a mile a minute, her heart aching that her best friend in the world simply didn't exist. She even broke into a jog to try and clear her head.

She jogged around a corner and abruptly smacked into a large, solid door. Briefly rubbing her knee that she'd banged against it, she tested the door. Locked. She did, however, notice a scanner mounted on the wall next to it. Curious, she swiped her keycard over it and it made an affirmative tone, a heavy lock inside the door sliding away with a clunk. The door opened by itself, and Morgan let herself in.

As soon as she crossed the threshold, she almost stumbled when a feeling of vertigo came over her. Morgan heard a brief rushing noise in her ears, shaking her head to get rid of it. She then marvelled at the place she was in.

There was a strange mixture of foliage and trees in the massive area, and the concrete floor and storage crates were visible amidst all the flora. She could hear birds too, as clearly as if they were sitting on her shoulder. The strange room seemed to shift, the plants growing to cover the manmade structures unnaturally fast. As Morgan walked, she nearly tripped over something and stopped to examine it. A very odd shaped and textured stick lay in her path, and kneeling, she picked it up.

The next thing she knew, she was surrounded by security guards all with their weapons drawn at her, shouting. Startled, she took a step back and the guards leveled their guns. It was then she realized she was holding a pistol in her right hand.

A gentle hand reached from behind her and quickly disarmed her of the gun. In cold dread, Morgan realized it had a full magazine and a round in the chamber. She hadn't had any idea what just happened. Morgan looked over her shoulder to see the woman with the same last name as she did.

"Get her to medical, _now_."

…**...**

**So what did you think? Please drop a review, they make me happy! **


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